From across the hallway
by KittyKatZorse
Summary: When Missy moves in across the hallway with her two-year old daughter Emily, into what is definitely NOT the best neighborhood, perhaps Wade Wilson can be there for them to brighten their world, and keep an eye out for them when they need it most... Hurt/Comfort/Friendship/Family, and perhaps a little something more... Wade/Missy alternate universe fic. Wade/OC
1. Chapter 1

**This is another alternate universe Missy/Wade fic.**

* * *

Wade Wilson was in a good mood.

He had just finished work across town…(it had been a pretty easy job- a little light threatening and very little bloodshed…).

He had just bought himself the biggest pizza (and got the hot brunette at the counter's number while doing so) and now he was here, climbing the stairs towards his apartment, with his extra-large black olive and pineapple, tucked underneath his arm.

He was planning on spending his evening catching up on Game of Thrones and gorging on beer and pizza until he passed out.

But the last thing he expected as he reached his hallway, juggling the pizza box in search of his keys, was a tiny little face to peek out at him from behind a pair of slender legs.

Wade gave a frown as he climbed the last few steps, coming to spot a caramel-haired woman of around thirty, wearing high heels and a chic trench coat with a tiny little girl at her feet, both standing a short way down the hallway.

The woman sighed, as she too juggled with a large cardboard box, trying to fit a key into the door.

The apartment opposite Wade's had been empty for three months now. He knew that a couple of people had come to look around, but it was a pretty bad neighbourhood. Not the sort of place you'd usually come across a young family. Around here it was mainly drug dealers and pot smokers. Wade wasn't either of those things, but even _he_ wasn't exactly a saint. But to see a woman like that around here, and with a kid too, was definitely a strange sight.

The woman before him gave a huff, shimmying the key inside the lock. She hadn't even noticed his presence, being too preoccupied.

"Come on, stupid door!" she said loudly, giving the dark wood a kick with her patent shoe.

Wade grinned.

"You know I think there might be a trick to it," he said suddenly, causing the woman to suddenly jump in fright and swing around.

It was then that he finally saw her…

She was tall and elegant…with dark green eyes and long hair like the sweetest caramel…and Wade knew he already liked the little frown line that lingered between her brows and already had a soft spot for the way she pursed her pale pink lips….

He grinned instantly, as his gaze swept over every inch of her.

She lowered one hand and pulled the little girl back behind her protectively, gazing over at him, a scowl forming over her delicate features.

But she didn't say anything, merely staring him down, eyes narrowed, like a lioness protecting her cub.

Wade pointed at the door behind her.

"I know the guy who used to live here before you, we called him Cactus Jack," said Wade wandering over to her slowly. "You might think he got his name from collecting cacti, you know the ones you sometimes get at Christmas with the little Santa hats glued onto them. No. Really everyone just called him that because he was a bit of a pric- "

Wade suddenly glanced down at the tiny girl at the woman's feet, stopping abruptly.

"Well what I mean to say is that Jack used to just-"

His hand hovered over the keys the woman held tightly in her hand.

"May I?"

The woman stared at him, that scowl still there, for what felt like the longest moment.

He could feel the fear and anger that emanated from her right now…and suddenly he backed off, taking a couple of steps away from her.

Wade knew he was tall, and despite his smile, knew that he could be intimidating. In some circumstances this could work to his advantage, but right now this wasn't how was trying to come across.

"I'm Wade…I live next door," he said trying to rectify this, his tone gentle, as he gripped his pizza box, holding out his free hand towards her.

She scrutinised him for a minute or two before looking down at the little girl peeking up at him from between her legs.

The tiny girl gaped up at him with green eyes, and a tuft of soft brown hair that was tied up with a small red bow. She couldn't have been more than two years old.

He gave a chuckle as the tiny toddler nibbled down onto her fingers, peering up at him shyly.

"I'm Missy," came the woman's sudden voice, causing Wade to stare up suddenly.

The woman's face had softened slightly, but there was still no smile there.

"..and this…" she continued, stroking the top of the little girl's head. "…is Emily."

At the contact Emily peered up at Missy, with wide eyes.

And Wade couldn't help but smile.

It wasn't often he came across anyone this tiny, or this innocent. Not in his line of work anyway. And even Missy, she wasn't the type of woman you saw in this neighbourhood, all long legs and high heels…

"Hey there Em," he said in light tone.

But the little girl didn't turn to him, or even acknowledge him at all in fact.

"She's deaf," said Missy suddenly, her tone sharp and defensive. "If she's not looking at you, she can't hear you."

And with that, before Wade could utter another word, Missy had turned her back on him, balancing the cardboard box on her hip and fiddling with the key once again.

He had obviously offended her, despite not even realising it.

Wade frowned momentarily before suddenly and without a word, leaning over her and giving the door a shove.

It swung open easily. _That_ was _his_ form of an apology.

Missy stood there frozen for a second or two, before turning around to face him. Behind her Emily had headed inside quietly.

Missy looked Wade up and down, her green eyes roving across his sheepskin coat and his white t-shirt with a photo of Martha Stewart on it, and even across to the pizza he held under his arm.

"Well, don't let us keep you," she said in a curt tone, her eyes flashing in a protective manner. "I'm sure your pizza's getting cold."

And with that, Missy headed inside the, now open apartment, before unceremoniously kicking the door closed behind her. Leaving Wade on the other side, alone.

The merc gaped, standing there…

…as a moment passed…

…then another…

Before his face finally broke into a warm smile.

As he turned, fishing out his keys from his pocket, he chuckled to himself as he pushed open his own door.

Weirdly, his good mood had only got better…

* * *

 **Do you want more?**

 **Should I carry on with this storyline?**

 **Please review!**


	2. Chapter 2

It was 8.20 and Missy was already running late.

Today was her first day at her new job, and from past experience, Missy knew that bad impressions lasted.

The plan was to drop Emily off at the office crèche on the sixth floor before taking the trip up to the eleventh floor where she now worked as an office assistant.

But despite Emily waking her up super early, Missy had no idea where the morning had gone…

Between giving Emily her breakfast and letting her play a little with her favourite stuffed animal, Missy had somehow found the time to shower and get dressed.

Now she had already popped Emily into her fluffy coat and mittens, and was now pulling on her own beige trench coat, ready to head out the door.

Missy smoothed down her slightly curled hair, hoping that it looked ok.

Having only moved in a couple of days ago, she hadn't even had a change to unpack let alone find a mirror amongst the chaos of boxes. Her priority had been to get out Emily's toys and clothes, more to make the little girl feel at home than anything else.

So having dabbed on a little makeup in the bathroom mirror and pulling on a white blouse, pencil skirt and high heels, she only hoped she looked the part. It had been a while since she had worked and of course she was nervous.

But letting out a long breath to steady herself, she knew that this was all a good thing. A job meant that she could support her and Emily alone… without help from anyone else….

"You ready sweetie?" she asked her tiny daughter, bending down and grasping her hand gently.

Emily stared up at Missy, before smiling.

"Yesh," she said with a big nod, causing Missy's heart to instantly melt.

She loved her daughter more than anything in this world. But the prospect of spending time away from her like this was killing her. She knew today was definitely going to be tough for the both of them.

Missy picked up her purse, hanging it from her elbow, before tugging open the front door.

The pair of them ambled out into the hallway, only to be met with a familiar face.

"You off for an early morning stroll momma-bear?" came the sudden voice of her next-door neighbour, Wade.

There he was again. All tall and blonde and rough around the edges, standing in practically the same spot she had left him in fourteen hours earlier.

Missy immediately scowled.

"Are you stalking us?" she said narrowing her eyes, her voice icy.

But Wade merely grinned his silly grin, causing Missy to growl beneath her breath.

There was something about that swagger, that cockiness, that irritated her so much…

But he ignored her glare and merely took a step fowards, before crouching down and bouncing on his heels, coming to look directly at Emily.

"Hey there Em-bear? How you doing? You off for a play-date?" he asked her, his voice soft….different now.

Missy frowned down at him. What was his deal?

"She won't-" Missy began, snappily.

But before she could say another word, there came a sudden tiny voice…

"I play now," said Emily, in what was perhaps the shyest tone imaginable.

Her daughter never normally talked to anyone, let alone strangers, so it wasn't surprising that Missy's jaw dropped slightly.

Wade's face broke into a wide smile, his dark brown eyes wrinkling at the corners.

"That is _super_ awesome," he said in a friendly tone, causing Emily to look away shyly and clutch at Missy's bare leg with her mittened paw. "I've kinda got a play date of sorts myself today."

Slowly and with a groan, Wade got to his feet, his eyes finally reaching Missy's again.

"And by play date I mean work…" he said to Missy, rolling his eyes sarcastically.

Missy pursed her lips.

"And what is it you do?" she said icily. "Drug dealer, or male gigolo?"

He tone was mocking.

But Wade merely let out a chuckle, skimming around her question.

"So a play date, huh? I've gotta say you look a little overdressed for that…" he swiped back, smirking, as his eyes roved up and down her slender form. "Those shoes really appropriate for a game of tag?"

But Missy didn't grace him with a retort, she merely stared him down, studying him carefully.

She knew that this neighbourhood wasn't the best. Hell, even the real-estate agent who had shown her around the place had advised her against living here. But it had been one of the only places in Missy's rent budget that had been close to her office-building. Besides, although it was a little rough around the edges, she could make it into a home, she knew that. As long as she didn't start associating herself with the weirdos that hung around here, everything would fall into place.

Her neighbour was just a little older than she was, by the looks of it, but looked like he had been more than just a few bar fights over the years. From the scar that ran through his eyebrow, to the remnants of what looked like a broken nose, he looked a little…thrown together, at best.

Besides why would a guy like this ever be interested in talking to her or Emily anyway?

And after what had happened with Scott…

Missy gulped….well, all she knew was that she couldn't let her guard down….not again.

"Well, we need to go," said Missy, a little louder than normal, clasping Emily's hand tightly, knowing that the little girl was sure to look up and hear her. "Come on baby."

And with that, Missy strutted away, without more than a back glance at Wade, her heart pounding in her chest as she did so.

* * *

It was 3.45pm and Missy had already had _the_ worst day.

Her job had been fine and getting to grips with the tasks that she had been given had been the easy part. It was the _people_ who had made the day difficult for her.

As soon as they had seen her, whispers had carried around the office.

 _"_ _Oh her, yeah she's the new part-timer…"_

 _"_ _Yeah she's got a kid, so they let her leave early…"_

That was true of course, she finished her work day at 3.15, but was only contracted until that time, which meant her pay was less than everyone else's…but obviously according to them, she was a slacker…a person who had got special treatment from the boss.

 _"_ _He obviously felt sorry for her…a single mom…how could he say no?"_

The whispers had continued over her lunchbreak where she had sat alone at her desk, rather than go to the staff canteen like everyone else.

But the worst part still had yet to come.

Thirty minutes ago she had shut down her PC and headed down to the crèche to pick up Emily.

She was so excited to see her after what had felt like the longest day apart from her little girl.

But the moment she had stepped inside, one of the staff had approached her, their face worried-looking and for a brief moment Missy had panicked.

But the lady had given her a sad look, sighing.

"We tried our best with her," started the lady, without even saying hello. "But Emily didn't want to join in with the other children…"

She gestured over her shoulder to the large room, where fifteen or so children were playing loudly, running about, barging into one another, having fun.

But as hard as Missy searched, she just couldn't seem to see that recognisable tuft of brown hair anywhere in amongst the crowd.

It was then that she finally spotted her….and her heart plummeted.

Emily was sat on the floor in the far corner of the room, alone, her head bowed and a large book propped open on her lap. She had tucked herself into the tiniest corner of the room away from the others.

Missy of course recognised that stance…she knew it very well.

Emily would do this was she was feeling uncomfortable and scared. She would hide herself away, try to block out the noise and make herself as tiny as possible to try and get away from it all.

"I know she has difficulty hearing…" started the woman.

But Missy growled.

"She's deaf…I told one of the other staff that this morning," snapped Missy defensively. "If you talk to her slowly and make sure she's looking at you, s-she's fine…"

"I understand that," said the woman attempting a false smile. "But we have a lot of children here, so special attention can't really be given to one child over the other, our staff are stretched as it is. Look, if Emily doesn't at least try and get along and join in with the other children it makes our job hard for us. Listen, there might be other options you could look at. _Specialised_ nurseries…"

At these words Missy's eyes blackened.

She ignored the woman's comment and stalked across the room, heading straight for the corner where Emily was sat with her tiny back to her.

Missy as always, came around to face her little daughter, so that she would catch her attention.

"Hey sweetie-pie," she said in a clear voice, as Emily gazed up at Missy with bright green eyes.

Instantly the little girl scrunched up her face, as a kid across the room let out a loud scream.

"I know, I know, baby," said Missy, more to herself than Emily, clutching the little girl to her. Emily immediately buried her face in Missy's coat.

Missy's heart was ready to tear in two.

This entire thing had been a mistake…

 _That_ was thirty minutes ago…now the pair of them had walked home quietly hand in hand, finally reaching their apartment building.

It was then that Missy saw him again.

Wade, her neighbour, trudging towards them, coming from the opposite direction.

Spotting them, he immediately raised his hands innocently.

"Ok, ok, before you say anything, I swear I am not stalking you," he said smiling, his tone playful. "I've just had a rough day and now have an afternoon date with a pint of ice cream and a season of The Walking Dead."

With that, he held aloft a tub of cookie-dough ice cream.

But Missy was still too downhearted to argue with him or even to fling him a snappy response.

But Emily managed to stare up at Wade, studying carefully with her bright green orbs.

The blonde man caught the little girl's eye.

"You enjoy your play date, Em?" he said, perhaps a little too loudly, as people often did when talking with her.

But Emily slowly shook her head, giving a little pouty face before looking down at her white mittens.

Missy noticed Wade give the slightest of frowns before immediately looking back up to Missy questioningly.

Missy paused for a second before giving a sigh. Her eyes dropping down to the ground too.

"We've just had a rough day too…" she explained, her voice breaking slightly.

But Missy couldn't look at him. As if now, after all she had been through, she would admit she was struggling… even to this complete stranger.

She merely gave Emily the tiniest of tugs as they headed up the steps towards her building, and through the front door.

Wade was hot at their heels, but he didn't say another word as they climbed the steps up towards the hallway they shared.

It was only when they had reached the landing did Emily suddenly pull on Missy's hand, as Wade turned towards his front door, pulling out his keys.

The little girl looked up at Missy before suddenly pointing with her mitten towards the tall, blonde, guy next door.

Emily uttered something Missy didn't quiet catch.

Missy crouched down beside her daughter, tucking a long strand of caramel hair behind her own ear.

"What was that sweetie?" she asked gently, as Wade glanced back over towards them.

"Ice cweam," said Emily in a sudden tiny voice, pointing up at Wade once more.

Her neighbour gave a chuckle, his face brightening.

But Missy shook her head. "No baby, we haven't got a freezer yet for ice cream…" she said stroking her thumb across Emily's chubby baby cheek.

The little girl looked immediately crestfallen.

"You can have it," came a sudden voice from right beside them and Missy turned to see Wade now standing at their side, holding out the tub towards Emily. "Why do you need a freezer when you can eat it now?"

Missy looked up at him for a second before turning back to her daughter.

"Because we haven't had our dinner yet, have we sweetie?" she said in a slow voice.

But Emily's little face was a picture of sadness, and after all that had happened today, Missy so wished she had some ice cream to give her. Right now she wished she could give her anything she wanted in the entire world…

"Nah," said Wade suddenly, coming to crouch down beside them, right in Emily's line of sight. "On bad days you gotta have ice cream _before_ dinner. You think that sounds about right Em-bear?"

Emily gave a tiny nod, before looking over at Missy.

Missy paused a little uncertainly for a long moment as Wade held out the pint of ice cream towards her.

"Here you can have it…gotta watch my figure anyway," he said poking at his oh-so-flat abs.

Missy's lips twitched as her green eyes suddenly met with his chocolate ones.

She titled her head. Who even was this guy….?

After what felt like an eternity she finally gave a gulp and reached for her purse.

"Let me at least give you the money for it then…" she murmured, rifling around for a few dollars she knew she had stuffed inside her handbag, somewhere between a fruit-rollup and a ton of hair bows.

But Wade merely held the ice cream in front of her face, shaking his head and giving a smirk.

"Hey, don't worry about it. Us male gigolos make tons of cash…" he said in a mocking tone, his eyes flashing with something Missy couldn't quite put her finger on.

She froze for a moment, one hand still mid-way through rooting around inside her purse…. before slowly retracting it and taking the ice cream from his grasp a little apprehensively.

She gave a another gulp, before-

"Thank you," she murmured in a soft tone.

After the day she had had, this generosity was overwhelming to her.

She slowly got to her feet as Wade mirrored her, doing the same.

Missy plucked out her keys from her bag, her eyes drifting away from his and down to Emily who was staring up at the pair of them.

"You want some ice cream then, sweetie?" she said affectionately to the little girl who nodded her head slowly, her mouth gaping open.

Missy smiled, her fingers toying with the little tuft of hair that stuck out from Emily's bow.

And as Missy glanced up, she caught Wade staring at her with the strangest expression on his face, looking at her as if truly seeing her for the first time.

Missy blinked at him a couple of times, staring back questioningly, before placing a hand to Emily's head and opening her front door.

"Thanks again," she said curtly without turning around, her face blushing the slightest shade of pink as she headed inside.

But what Missy didn't notice was little Emily look around and give Wade the smallest of waves with her mittened hand, before the door finally swung shut behind them both.

Outside, Wade Wilson smiled to himself…

* * *

 **Do you think I should carry on and write more, I mean it really depends on how many reviewers say yes but would you guys want me to continue?**

 **Please review! :)**


	3. Chapter 3

Missy's week had been anything but easy…each and every day Missy had gone to work, with the whispers still floating around the office…

And on top of that, Emily had been as quiet as ever…

She wasn't a fussy little girl and rarely cried, but she was as shy as anything and Missy could tell she was upset by the fact she had gotten more and more subdued and silent as they days had progressed. This past week, being away from Missy and having to deal with the loud noises and unfamiliar faces at the crèche, it was hurting her, Missy could easily see that.

But right now it was their only choice… Missy couldn't afford _not_ to work and having a crèche in her office block was a massive saving grace for her. There wasn't many workplaces where she would be that lucky.

But today it was Friday and Missy and Emily were looking forward to the entire weekend, just the two of them.

But the moment they had arrived back at 4.30pm, after taking a detour through the ever-darkening park on the way home, their afternoon had descended into chaos.

They had opened the front door, only to find that that their power was out and by the looks of it, had been for the majority of the day. This meant that the entire apartment was freezing cold and now plunged into darkness.

"No, no, no…" uttered Missy under her breath, flipping the light on and off as Emily stuck by her heels, looking up at her Mom a little worriedly.

"Itsh dark," muttered the little girl, slurring her words slightly, which wasn't uncommon for her.

Missy stroked the top of Emily's head stepping further into the room, the only light, currently coming from the lit-hallway behind them, through the open door.

"I know sweetie, Mommy thought she'd paid the bill on Tuesday," she said matter-of-factly, pulling her cell phone from her purse, the bright light from the device illuminating her face.

She checked her bank account quickly.

Crap, the money hadn't gone out. She know she'd SEEN the bill, but with everything going on at the moment, she had obviously forgotten to pay it.

At her side, Emily clutched at her leg.

"It's ok, Mommy will fix it," said Missy biting her lip.

God, it was freezing in here. It was late November and a chill had crept over the city over the past few weeks, with the temperature having dropped dramatically, right in time for their move.

Missy hurriedly strode across the room, searching over her box-strewn living room for the pile of letters and bills she knew was around there somewhere.

But it was dark and impossible to see a thing, even with the light from her phone.

Oh could this day get any worse?!

"Is living in the dark a new trend I haven't quite caught onto yet?" came a sudden voice from behind her.

Oh it definitely _could_ get worse…

She turned to see Wade standing in the hallway, leaning up against her doorframe, arms folded, staring into the gloomy apartment, a big grin across his face.

Missy gave an irritated huff.

"I forgot to pay the bill, ok?" she snapped, before she could stop herself.

Why was she even having to explain herself to him anyway?

Emily looked behind her, obviously wondering who Missy was talking to, her green eyes staring suddenly up at Wade.

"Hiya Em," he said his voice sweet. "It's kinda dark in here, huh?"

The tiny girl gave a nod and waved at him suddenly with her chubby hand.

Wade beamed.

Missy gave a sigh, spinning around on the spot, checking the space around her for the bills. But beneath the piles of cardboard boxes and Emily's toys it was impossible to see anything.

"I've got a flashlight, if you want to borrow one?" offered Wade.

She could from his tone that he was smirking.

Missy gritted her teeth.

"No thanks!" she said in a high-pitched voice. "I'm fine, I-"

But before she could utter another word, Missy had tripped over a pile of boxes and come crashing down onto the hardwood floor with a bump.

Emily let out a squeak of fright.

In a flash, Wade had strode across the room, closing the gap between them, clutching a hand beneath her arm.

"Up you get, Ms Clumsy," he said in a mocking tone, which Missy did not appreciate one little bit.

She snatched her arm away from him.

"I can get up myself, thank you very much," she snarled, clambering to her feet with great difficulty on her sky-high-heels.

She heard Wade at her side let out a chuckle, as he walked back over to where Emily was still stood, just a couple of feet inside the room.

He crouched down in front of the little girl, smiling.

"Now _your_ mommy is an independent lady," said Wade with a nod. "…and you know what? That's my favourite _kind_ of lady…"

Emily just gaped at him for a long moment, before looking down at the floor shyly and turning around on the spot.

"She's shy…" offered Missy, suddenly gazing over at them. "She doesn't really interact with others all that well."

Wade looked around at Missy.

"She interacts with you…" he said blinking.

Missy glanced down at the floor momentarily before looking up at Wade once again.

"That's because I know how to talk to her…a lot of people, they find out that she's hard of hearing, and they just yell at her, thinking that will solve all the problems…but it just makes things worse…she hates loud noises.." Missy gave an inward sigh. "She's fine if you just talk slowly to her and make eye contact…like you should with any normal child…"

Wade paused for a second, his brown eyes roving over Missy's face.

"Noted…" he uttered simply.

Suddenly at his side, Emily let out a shiver.

It was bitterly cold in the apartment and right now Missy regretted not keeping on top of things better.

What on earth was she going to do if Emily got sick…she couldn't afford to take time off…not now…imagine what the popele ta work would say about that?

Not to mention Emily's health…the little girl struggled as it was…

Missy worried at her lip, fretting.

"Listen," said Wade suddenly, snapping Missy out of her trance. "You wanna come over to my place?"

His voice was genuine and soft.

He turned to Emily.

"I've got hot chocolate with little marshmallows.." he said in a tempting voice, causing the little girl to look up at him wide-eyed.

But Missy gave a frown.

This probably wasn't a good idea….she barely even knew this guy…

"Hot chwocolat?" repeated Emily in what was barely a whisper.

Wade smiled down at her with gentle brown eyes.

"And it sure is a bit warmer than this place is…" he said glancing back over at Missy. "In fact I think a house made of ice vodka luges would be warmer than this…"

Missy gave a gulp.

"I-I don't know…" she murmured biting at her lip, worriedly, and shifting her weight from foot to foot.

But Wade gave an easy shrug, getting to his feet as Emily watched him.

"Look it's just an offer…" he said with a chuckle. "But I do have wifi if you need to get in touch with the electricity company that way…and besides my hot cholate is pretty infamous…"

He turned to Emily.

"…The secret is lots of marshmallows!" he said in a loud whisper behind his hand, causing Emily to blink her eyes up at him curiously.

Perhaps going over to Wade's for a minute or two _would_ be a better option, Missy thought to herself. Instead of rooting around in the dark for a missing paper bill she might have thrown out anyway.

She stared up at her neighbour warily.

There he was, in his usual sheepskin jacket and black tee, looking every inch a guy she would normally cross the street to avoid.

But it was Emily, who let out another silent shiver, who made up Missy's mind for her.

"Ok…" Missy uttered in a quiet tone. "Just until I manage to get this bill paid and get the power back on…"

Wade instantly clapped his hands together, happily, causing Emily to wince slightly, backing away from him in fright.

The blonde man looked suddenly shamefaced at the little girl's reaction.

But Missy merely walked across the room, taking Emily's hand in her own and stroking her cheek.

"Shhh, it's ok baby, it was just Wade…" she said in a soft voice.

Wade shook his head.

"Sorry," he said, looking between them.

And for the first time, Missy saw something in him…. something far removed from his usual cocky swagger. Something genuine, remorseful….honest…

"It's fine…" she said giving him a ghost of a smile, which Wade reciprocated, looking slightly relieved.

And with that, he led the way across the hallway, pushing open the door to his apartment, as Missy and Emily followed.

* * *

 **I'm not sure if I should carry on. I'm not really getting many reviews…**

 **Thanks anyway to kaayrakoi, Legolas Girl 31, AngiMK, EmeraldFoxTails669 and dancindonna for leaving their feeback on the last chapter. I really do appreciate it!**

 **Please review!**


	4. Chapter 4

Wade's apartment was just how had Missy imagined it. Casual, cool, if a little rough around the edges…just like Wade himself.

The pair of them, Missy and Emily, hand-in-hand, entered cautiously through the door, Emily gazing around in awe.

Their neighbour, immediately began picking up a t-shirt and a pair of jeans, that were haphazardly strewn across the floor, flinging them into his laundry basket in the corner of the room.

"Feel free to sit down, make your gorgeous selves at home" he said gesturing to a couch and a couple of chairs that stood on the far side of the apartment, next to a large window that looked out onto the city. "You can borrow my laptop if you need it, but I wouldn't go through my browser history if I were you…"

Missy rolled her eyes, shaking her head, before leading Emily over to the couch, picking her up and sitting her down onto the squishy sofa cushions.

"Thanks…" she uttered, looking over at him and unbuttoning the little girls coat. It was much, much warmer in here.

But Wade merely smiled, looking happy.

She was sure he must have a lot of visitors. He wasn't exactly bad looking and definitely seemed like the kind of guy that would have plenty of friends…but Wade seemed almost enamoured with having them here.

He immediately busied himself with tidying things away and making the place look presentable, before grabbing his laptop, placing it down onto the end of the couch beside her.

Missy gave him a nod as she unbuttoned her own coat, removing it and placing it neatly down beside Emily's.

For the slightest of seconds she caught Wade's eye, as he looked her up and down. She was just in a navy pencil skirt, pale blue blouse and nude heels, nothing special, but the way he was looking at her…

But she instantly pushed this away from her thoughts, turning her attention back to her daughter.

She ran a hand over her soft brown hair.

"You ok, sweetie?" she asked gently.

Emily gave a nod back.

"Hot chwocolat?" she asked, her little green eyes searching Missy's face.

Missy smiled lovingly, before glancing up at Wade who was currently beaming.

"Hot chocolate for the little princess and her beautiful queen of a mama, coming right up," he said quickly, moving over to them and picking up the tv remote. "But first maybe some cartoons? Teenage Mutant Ninja turtles were always my favourite… _huuuge_ fan of Leonardo."

Wade switched on the tv, flipping over to the kids channel, and began to turn up the volume…higher and higher…

People always tried to compensate for Emily's hearing loss…it was no fault of their own…they only thought they were doing what's best for the little girl.

But Missy lifted her hand, placing it on Wade's quickly.

"You can keep the volume low, she just likes to look at the pictures anyway," she said, giving Wade a small smile.

He paused for a moment, her hand still on his, before she pulled it away, staring back down at Emily.

Behind her, Wade turned down the volume and headed over to his kitchenette, looking apologetic.

Missy gave a sigh, glancing at Emily, her little eyes fixed on the brightly lit cartoons. She felt her daughter's hands, finally starting to warm up.

She really did regret not keeping on top of everything and paying that bill when she should have.

Missy pursed her lips together, before pulling Wade's laptop towards her.

* * *

Twenty minutes later Missy was still sat on Wade's couch on her phone, on hold to the electricity company.

Wade had handed Emily his Batman figurine to play with, and the little girl was taking great delight in tracing over the superheroes mask with her chubby fingers.

Two steaming mugs of hot chocolate had been placed down in front of them, and now Wade stood close by, folding a huge pile of laundry.

Missy glanced over at him momentarily, shaking her head.

Finally after another minute or so, a shrill voice came down the line.

"Ok Melissa, all that seems to be in order, you've paid your bill in full and should have power back on sometime within the next six hours."

"Six hours?" said Missy loudly, causing Emily beside her to jump at the tone of her voice and Wade to look up at her concernedly. "But I've got my daughter…and we've got no power to make dinner….or keep warm…"

But the lady down the line was barely listening

"Would you be interested in hearing about any of our offers for solar panels today?" asked the woman, blatantly reading from a script.

Missy gave a loud "Ughhh…" hanging up the phone.

"Six hours!" she said incredulously, turning to Wade. "Six hours until the power comes back on!"

Her blonde neighbour frowned, putting down the shirt he was folding and walking slowly over to her.

"Well you're more than welcome to stay here tonight-" he said in a playful voice. "If you wanted to snuggle…"

But Missy wasn't in a very playful mood…

She pulled at her lip with her teeth, looking back to Emily who was staring up at her, her face full of worry.

"Sorry baby, Mommy shouldn't have yelled like that," she said, leaning over and kissing the little toddler's forehead.

Emily snuggled into her lovingly.

Oh god, was she just a bad parent? After that year she had had….well…it wasn't a surprise that she would think that…

Missy looked sadly down into her lap, barely even noticing Wade staring over at her.

Suddenly and without a sound, he was at her side.

Missy only realised when she felt a sudden hand on her shoulder.

"Hey…I was being serious…" he said, in a genuine tone, his chocolate eyes honest. "If you need to stay here tonight…"

He gave an easy smile.

"…I just did my laundry so my sheets are clean and daffodil fresh!"

Missy laughed before she could stop herself.

Even Emily looked up at her, as if surprised by the sound which had come out of her Mom's mouth.

It had been a long time since Missy had laughed, that was for sure!

"Thank you," said Missy, lowering her defences slightly, staring up into Wade's face.

There was just something about him…

"No problem…." he replied grinning, looking between her and Emily. "So….I guess if you're not going back to your place for a while and I'm guessing Chicken Little here will need to eat…"

He looked at the little girl and stroked his thumb across her cheek gently.

"..how about some mac and cheese…my speciality!"

Missy smiled back, as to her surprise, Emily let out a tiny giggle at Wade's contact.

"Isn't _everything_ your speciality?" Missy asked Wade mockingly, turning and tickling Emily's tummy, causing the toddler to burst into further fits of giggles.

Missy gazed at her daughter dreamily, as Wade looked on, beaming at the pair of them.

* * *

In a matter of minutes the microwave had pinged…Wade, having cleared his rickety little table, placed a steaming orange gloop of mac and cheese down in front of a seated Emily, as her Mom sat beside her.

"What do you say to Wade, sweetie?" asked Missy, smoothing down the little girl's tuft of hair.

"Fank you, Wadee," said Emily shyly, in very broken speech, before picking up the fork with her chubby little fingers.

"You're welcome," said Wade perching on the back of his couch, grinning widely. "And as I always say, what could be more nutritious than luminous mac and cheese?"

Missy instantly smiled up at him.

She could feel herself slowly letting her guard down…for the first time in a long time.

"Y'know I've made enough for all of us and if I'm honest you look like you could use a good meal packed full of e-numbers and trans fats," he said to Missy, cocking a scarred eyebrow over towards her. "At the moment you've got this whole 'I only drink kale juice and eat avocado' kinda vibe going on…."

Missy gave an incredulous laugh, causing Emily to look up at her once again.

"I do not…" she muttered getting to her feet and strolling over to Wade, folding her arms over her blouse. "…I'll have you know…I can binge eat Mexican food and pizza with the best of them…"

Wade looked at her in mock surprise, as she grinned.

"Then you realise, Mademoiselle, that you are pretty much my dream girl, right?" he said in a goading voice, as his eyes fixed onto hers.

But Missy merely smirked, ignoring his comment and quickly turning back towards Emily, walking over to her once more.

"That yummy baby?" she asked, as Emily chewed on the soft pasta, mouth open.

The little girl gave a nod, looking between Missy and Wade, as if transfixed by them.

Missy supposed that Emily had never really seen Missy have this much contact with anyone other than Missy's aunt…

Missy smiled to herself, staring down at her feet before turning and glancing back over towards Wade.

"You know what? I'll take that mac and cheese….if it's going?" she asked, gazing at him. "Thanks."

Wade smiled back, giving a playful look that merely said - 'I was totally right…'

* * *

An hour later and Emily was asleep.

The trio had finished their mac and cheese and hot chocolate and moved to the couch, Emily instantly clambering onto Missy's lap and snuggling into her.

It wasn't long before the tiny toddler's eyes had fluttered closed. It was late for her to be up and not in her own bed.

All of this was Missy's mess…if she hadn't been so concerned about herself…about her job…

She looked down at her hand as her fingers stroked against her daughter's warm cheek, absent-mindedly.

Missy couldn't believe she had been this selfish…

"Hey," said Wade suddenly from the armchair, breaking Missy from her thoughts. He had obviously been staring at her for a while. "You think the power's back on at your place yet?"

Missy blinked a few times, flushing red.

Oh god, had they outstayed their welcome?

Gathering Emily up into her arms, Missy made to get to her feet.

"Sorry, yeah, of course…" she murmured, avoiding his eyes, feeling wholly embarrassed.

"No, no, no!" said Wade quickly. "I only meant, if it's not, you should stay here…like I said, I made the bed, the sheets are clean…and Em-bear is looking kinda out for the count…"

He looked at the expression on her face.

"…don't worry," he said in an innocent tone, raising his hands aloft. "….no ulterior motive, I swear. Scouts honour."

Missy stared at him for the longest of moments…..before she gave him a small smile.

"Thank you…for the offer… I appreciate it…"

And she really did…

"…but I should probably check on my place…"

Easing Emily off of her, she got to her feet and strutted across the room on her high heels, grabbing her keys.

She heard Wade following behind her as she crossed the hallway and pushed open her door, but to her delight, the room was warm and lit.

She gave a relived sigh, before turning back to Wade, who was stood close behind her.

"No need to cuddle up to me tonight then?" he said with a smirk, before placing a hand to his chest. "I'm hurt…"

"Lucky escape more like," said Missy, poking him in the ribs with her polished fingernail. "You'd only have been woken like eight times in the night by Emily wanting to pee, or Emily having a nightmare…etcetera, etcetera…"

But Wade gave an easy shrug, grinning.

"Ahhhh, I wouldn't have minded….it would have been like bunking with my old Grandpa again…" he uttered in a sarcastic tone.

Missy let out a chuckle, her eyes glancing to the floor, and for a long second, silence fell between the pair…

She really was very grateful for all this…but couldn't even find the worlds to tell him so….

Missy had put up so many barriers…she was finding it hard to let anyone break them….and here this guy was, walking right through…into their lives…

"I should go get Emily…" she uttered in a quiet voice, biting her lip, before nudging past him.

Missy kept her head bowed low as she walked. She was tired too…and all this had just been too much for her on top of an already exhausting week!

Reaching Wade's couch, Missy lifted Emily into her arms as the little girl gave a gentle grizzle, before walking back over to the door, where Wade was standing, hands shoved into the pockets of his jeans.

Missy paused when she reached him.

This guy she barely even knew….

"Thanks…" she murmured in a quiet voice, gazing slowly up into his eyes. "I really don't know what we'd have done without your help…"

Wade grinned.

"Probably frozen to death…" he said with a matter-of-fact nod.

Missy smiled.

"Well….thanks anyway…." she said, searching for the words. "I appreciate it….we both do…"

And with that Missy gave him one last nod, before crossing the hallway, and closing the door behind her.

Wade lingered in his own doorway for a long moment, letting out a sigh and running a hand over his face…before he too closed the door behind him with a snap.

Leaving the corridor empty once again…

* * *

 **Sorry for the delay in posting, I'm just finding it hard to write at the moment.**

 **Anyway, thanks to DoctorWho9, jayceami, The Captains Muse, katiesgotagun, hannahkaho, Legolas girl 31, jeffhardyluvsme, AngiMK, jonstar1034, starrat, Kikibaybee, EmeralndFoxTails669, Tropp, TJ and friends, ComicGirl20 and Adam Kelly for reviewing the last chapter. Sorry if I've left anyone out, reviews are only showing up intermittently for me at the moment.**

 **Anyone hope you liked this one? What did you think?**

 **Please review!**


	5. Chapter 5

The week slipped slowly by, with things getting slightly easier for Missy.

She had a friend now, at work. A girl named Karen, who worked on the floor below. She was nice, and just the day before had asked if Missy wanted to go grab a drink after work with her and a couple of the other women from the office.

It was a Friday night…obviously a few years ago, Missy would have leapt at the chance. But she had Emily now. Her priorities had changed.

So Missy had politely declined Karen's offer, desperately hoping that that hadn't scuppered any chances she may have had of a friendship…

Now Missy and Emily walked home hand-in-hand.

Emily had fared no better at day-care this week.

She had still not made any friends and was very reluctant to join in with the other children, or so the staff had insisted anyway...

Missy knew that Emily's hearing issues were a big part of that and the children's screams and yells only drove to hurt her little ears, confusing her. Missy had wondered whether giving her hearing-aid another go, would be a good idea…but she remembered how much Emily had hated it. The little girl had cried and almost pleaded with Missy not to have to wear it, the whole situation breaking Missy's heart in two. She had vowed never again…but right now, what choice did she have?

Emily had only got quieter as the week progressed, going further and further into her shell, clutching tightly at Missy's hand in the mornings when it was time for her to leave.

So on their way home this evening, Missy and Emily had called into a bookstore on their way home, and had found one of Emily's favourite stories, reading it together.

It was story about a Mummy vampire and a Daddy vampire and their little daughter- who was a witch. Emily loved the part where the little witch would fly around on her broomstick, over the heads of her Mom and Dad.

Emily had been obsessed with this story for a while now and had been delighted on Halloween when they had passed a group of girls all dressed like little witches on their way home.

"I waw be a witsh, Mommy," she had said, her eyes full of awe.

Missy had merely smiled and stroked the top of her tiny head. "Next year sweetie," she had said gently. "We'll get you a hat and everything!"

Missy had tonight, bought the book covertly and was hiding it away to give to the Emily at Christmas.

Now the pair trudged up the long winding staircase, up towards their apartment, but the conversation hadn't strayed far.

"Wenn can I be witsh?" came Emily's quiet voice, as she looked up at Missy with wide green eyes.

Missy smiled.

"Next Halloween you can be a witch, baby…" she said for the hundredth time that month.

"But I wan be witsh now…" said the little girl looking sad, jutting out her little lip in a pout.

But before Missy could answer, the pair of them were almost bowled over by a figure flying around the corner towards them.

Missy stared up suddenly, as the person skidded to a halt.

"Well if it isn't my two favourite ladies," came the voice of Wade Wilson.

But Missy couldn't help but gasp slightly as she saw his face…

Wade was dressed, as always, in his usual sheepskin jacket, this time in a white vest and jeans, his blonde hair messy and slightly unkempt, but it was his face that had shocked her the most.

Her neighbour's cheeks were littered with tiny cuts and grazes, and across his forehead was a large purple bruise that looked incredibly painful.

Missy, without thinking, pulled Emily back towards her.

Neither of them has seen nor heard from Wade since last Friday when they had gone over to escape the cold, and Missy guessed that _this_ was the reason why…

"Your face…" uttered Missy, her eyes wide.

But Wade merely shot her a grin.

"Oh, yeah…it's not as bad as it looks…." he said with a shrug. "And hey, if it's any comfort, the other guy came off waaaay worse…."

But that was NOT a comfort to Missy. In fact it was the opposite.

She knew that this was a bad neighbourhood….but she really never expected it right on her doorstep. If something like that could happen to a 6ft2, muscle-bound guy like Wade…what chance did she and Emily have?

She looked down at her daughter, worried she might be upset by Wade's appearance.

But to her surprise Emily was staring up at Wade….a big smile plastered across her little face.

A smile she normally only reserved for Missy…

She held her tiny mittened paw up towards him.

"I goin be a witsh!" she said in a quiet voice.

Wade immediately beamed, before coming to crouch in front of Emily on the landing.

"A witch?" he said placing a hand to his chest in faux-surprise. "I guess I'd better behave then…in case you turn me into a frog, Em-bear!"

With that he stroked her little pink cheek with his thumb, as she looked up at him delightedly.

"But not until next Halloween, baby…" said Missy in a careful voice, bending down and lifting Emily into her arms.

Wade got to his feet, standing before the pair of them, tall and grinning.

"Awww but Halloween is aaaaaaaaages away!" he said, tossing back his head and giving a mock-groan.

"Adges away," repeated Emily, suddenly leaning into Missy and pressing a sloppy kiss to her cheek.

Missy gave a laugh, as Wade cocked an eyebrow.

"Hey, if you lift _me_ into your arms…" he said in a playful tone. "…can I have a kiss too?"

Missy smirked, rolling her eyes, but ignored him, instead turning back to Emily.

"Pleashe Mommy…I wil be good if I can be witsh…" said Emily, pushing back Missy's hair from her ear and whispering into it.

At this Missy's heart completely melted.

She gave a sigh. She supposed she might be able to rustle up a costume from an old t-shirt or something…

"Ok…let's see what we can do…" she said bouncing Emily on her hip as the little girl giggled happily.

"So if you're going to be a witch, that mean I'm gonna have to get some candy in for trick or treating?" asked Wade, cocking a scarred eyebrow up at Missy. "You two are literally eating me out of house and home at the moment, you know that?"

"Twick or tweaing?" asked Emily in the quietest voice possible, looking over at him, her mouth hanging open slightly.

But Missy just looked at Wade, the corners of her lips twitching up into a small smile.

"Give me until six o'clock and I'll make sure I have some candy in…" he said to her, stuffing his hands into his pockets and sliding past the pair of them, flashing them a charming smile. He pointed to his beaten up face. "And if we're doing costumes, I can be the selfless hero who got himself beaten up, and _you_ can be the super-sexy nurse next-door that takes care of him…I'm hoping you already have the outfit stashed away somewhere, right?"

Missy shook her head disapprovingly at him, but couldn't help but smile.

"Six o clock," she merely repeated, shooting him one last curious look, before turning back to Emily and climbing the rest of the stairs, disappearing off out of sight.

* * *

It was 6pm and Missy was knelt in her bedroom, Emily standing in front of her, the little toddler spinning around on the spot.

Whilst Emily had been eating her dinner of spaghetti and meatballs (with numerous vegetables hidden inside the sauce), Missy had been hard at work, cutting open a large black t-shirt to make a cape and taping together a couple of pieces of black cardboard to make a large pointed hat.

Missy had then put Emily in some red and black stripy leggings and her little red jumper to complete the outfit.

The little girl had squealed and run around excitedly as soon as she was in the costume.

"So you like it?" Missy asked her, as Emily stared at her appearance in the mirror, standing on her little pudgy tip-toes.

The tiny toddler gave a nod.

"Can I hav candy fram Wadee now?" she asked in a hushed voice, coming to clutch at Missy's hand with her own sticky one.

Missy chuckled.

Wade really had had quite an effect on Emily. Usually the little girl never paid any other adults any attention, apart from Missy of course…so for Wade to have had this much of an impact of her, really was something.

"Sure…shall we go and see if he's home?" asked Missy biting her lip, and brushing back Emily's mousy-brown hair from her face.

Missy knew that she couldn't put that much faith in Wade….after all, everyone else in her life had let her down, so why should he be any different? But the way he lighted up her and Emily's life…even just that tiny bit…

But Missy gave an inward sigh, getting to her feet.

He was probably just trying to be nice…it would only be a matter of time before, he too, proved he was just the same as the rest of them, and that there would only always be Missy and Emily…

Taking the little girl by the hand, Missy led her over to her wardrobe, pulling out a little orange shoulder bag. Missy had bought it years ago, and never used it anymore, but the colour and size would be perfect for trick or treating.

She handed it to Emily.

"Now you hold that, and shall we see if you can scare Wade into giving you some candy?" she asked wrinkling her nose.

But Emily had been looking down into the empty purse, and hadn't heard her.

Missy gave a couple of blinks, before squeezing Emily's hand and repeating herself.

The time the little girl gave an enthusiastic nod, causing Missy to smile, leading her out into the hallway landing and over to Wade's door.

"You want to knock?" asked Missy, leaning in towards Emily, who had instantly gone shy, cowering behind Missy's legs.

The toddler shook her head silently, causing the cardboard, pointed hat to slide about.

"I'll do it then," said Missy looking down into Emily's wide green eyes. "You just get your best scary face ready for when he comes out."

And with that Missy rapped neatly on the wooden door.

Less than a second later it was hurled open.

But the sight that met their eyes, caused both Emily _and_ Missy's faces to curve up into wide smiles….

For stood there, was Wade, grinning back at them with a pair of plastic, pearly white vampire fangs stuffed into his mouth.

"Vam-ire!" said Emily, quickly appearing out from behind Missy's legs and pointing up at Wade. She looked back and forth between Missy and Wade excitedly. "Vam-ire!"

"Yuh-uh, ansh yoush ar-"

Wade made a sudden face, stopping mid-way through his sentence to take out the teeth. "And you are?"

"I WITSH!" said Emily, bouncing up and down excitedly, causing her hat to almost topple off.

"A witch!?" said Wade in a faux-terrified voice. "A vampire is no match for a witch, I guess you'd better take some of this candy I've been hoarding inside my castle!"

Wade reached inside, grabbing for a large bag of unopen candy that he had blatantly just bought from the store on the corner, and crouching before Emily.

Tipping the bag upside down he emptied the entire contents into the Missy's orange purse as Emily stared up into his face, her mouth opening slightly.

"You like Daddy vam-ire…." she said, suddenly reaching up and touching his bruised cheek with her pudgy finger. "An Mommy is Mommy vam-ire…"

Wade smiled instantly, his eyes glancing up towards Missy who immediately felt herself redden.

"Well…I guess we can't argue with that…" smirked Wade, his eyes never leaving hers. "Question is who gets to suck who's blood first?"

Missy, pursed her lips together, trying as hard as she could to stop herself from smirking back, shaking her head dismissively.

"Alright now, baby…" she said, ignoring his comment and looking down at Emily. "you say thank you to Wade, and let's get in to get you into the bath and ready for bed."

Emily smiled shyly, before looking up at Wade once again.

"Fanku Wadee," she said, her sticky hands grasping at her red jumper.

Wade looked absolutely enamoured with her, staring at Emily like she was the most precious thing he had ever seen.

"Can I get a bath and get put to bed too?" he asked finally, giving a pout and staring at Missy, as he got slowly to his feet. "I look super cute, butt-naked and covered in bubbles, y'know?"

This time Missy did smirk, bending down and clutching Emily's hand in her own, without looking at him.

"In your dreams…" Missy said curtly, although she wasn't able to stop her cheeks turning pink.

Wade merely leant up against the doorframe, as the pair crossed the hallway heading back over to their front door.

"Well maybe another time…... _Mommy_ vampire," he said in a cheeky voice, causing Missy to glance back over her shoulder at him one last time.

She shot him a look, before letting out a small smile and heading inside…...shutting the door closed behind them.

* * *

 **Thanks so much to kaayrakoi, Legolas girl 31, RandomFandoming, dancindonna, Guest, EmeraldFoxTails669, starrat and theschuysthelimit for reviewing the last chapter.**

 **Was that ok? I'd love to hear what you thought?**

 **Please review! :)**


	6. Chapter 6

**As many of you may have noticed, I changed the name of this fic, thought it kinda suited it better.**

* * *

The week drifted by, with Wade bumping into Missy and Emily briefly a couple of times, but for no more than a couple of minutes maximum.

After a few polite exchanges of words, the girls had rushed off, leaving Wade beaming after them each and every time…..

The merc knew, of course, that he was enamoured with them, without a doubt! But Missy was hard nut to crack…

Defensive and protective over her tiny daughter. He didn't expect anything less, but that just made Wade more and more bowled over by her.

She was perfect….and she didn't even realise it.

But tonight it was a Saturday night, and two days since the _coughing_ had started.

Despite there being a hallway dividing them, Wade could still hear it, punctuating through the silence.

It was Emily. Wade had seen her looking sniffly and miserable on Thursday, but since then, the sounds that emanated from Missy's apartment had only worsened.

It was just gone 10pm, and even through the noise from his TV, Wade could still hear the bark-like coughs, sounding through the walls.

The merc was sprawled out on his couch after a tiring job.

Two guys who had tried to rob a liquor store. Wade had had a gold card with their names on it. Literally.

The merc knew for a fact that they didn't even have any weapons, but as soon as they had seen him they had run like hell. And Wade, despite him keeping fairly fit, wasn't as young as he used to be, had been winded after about five minutes and had given up. Pffft. Someone else could take the card.

So now, with his day pretty much wasted, Wade was sat, in jeans and a t-shirt, his sneakers still on, watching old re-runs of The Price is Right. His head was propped up on his hand, his face bored, his eyes staring, unmoving, at the TV.

It wasn't until there was a sudden knock on his door, did Wade finally break from his stupor…

He gave a frown, getting hastily to his feet.

Nobody usually called on him this late…and if they did, it was usually people demanding money….or worse, his life…

Grabbing his gun from the top shelf of a kitchen cupboard where he had stashed it, Wade stalked to the door before hurling it open, his eyes flashing dangerously.

But to his surprise, on the other side of the door wasn't a 6 ft7 hulking great man, ready to kill him…instead it was the opposite….

"Missy?" he said, tossing his gun down onto a sideboard, out of sight.

The caramel-haired woman was stood there, her face full of worry and concern. He could see that her eyes were red and tired-looking.

She gave a gulp, glancing back over to her open front-door.

"I'm really sorry….I didn't know who else to ask…." she said, shaking her head, looking close to tears, desperation in her voice. "It's Emily-"

From behind her came a sudden loud, carrying cough…

Again Missy glanced around, before staring back up at him once more.

"She won't stop coughing…it's been like two days…and she's getting worse….she just needs some medicine….but I haven't been able to get out and get some…." said Missy her voice breaking slightly as she spoke. "S-she just won't sleep….I-I've tried anything….medicine will help, but I just-"

Wade shuffled from foot to foot, the concern upon his features mirroring hers.

"You need me to go to the store?" he asked, his hand automatically reaching out and touching her shoulder.

Beneath his grasp, she was trembling like a leaf.

Missy was usually so composed, so reserved….but now…

She shook her caramel-blonde head quickly as he spoke.

"I know the one she needs….I'll be gone like five minutes tops…" she asked, in a hurried tone, her face reddening. "I just wanted to ask if you could-"

"-Of course," uttered Wade instantly. He knew what she was getting at but couldn't quite find the right words to ask him. "You want me to watch her?"

Missy nodded quickly.

"Like I said I'll be gone like five minutes," she said, her eyes wide and anxious. "She's just in bed….she's hot and just won't settle. I-I've tried everything. You don't have to do anything….just make sure she's ok… I just don't have anyone else to ask…"

For the slightest of seconds Missy's green eyes met with Wade's chocolate ones.

His heart broke for her. He could see the anguish that was coursing through her right now.

It looked like she had wanted to ask of him this all day, but had only now worked up the courage to do so.

"Lead the way," he uttered, giving her shoulder a small squeeze, and flashing her a reassuring smile.

Missy visibly gulped, turning away, tucking a stand of hair behind her ear before heading back over to her apartment.

Inside Emily's coughs were louder, more piercing inside the silent apartment.

As they reached the living room, Missy turned to him, pointing to a scrap of paper on the coffee table.

"I'll be back as soon as I can….that's my cell phone number….call me if anything happens…." Missy uttered, biting at her lip. "She shouldn't even notice I'm gone…"

Wade nodded. "It'll be fine, just go…" he said giving her a poignant look.

This was no time for the charm and teasing he normally presented to her. Her mind was not on _him_ right now….

"Thank you…" she murmured, gratefully. And this time it was her turn to reach out for him….her hand grasping his forearm tightly, giving a squeeze.

But within a second she had pulled away and was heading out the door, purse and cell phone clutched tightly in her hands.

Wade gave a sigh, staring after her, long after the door had been pulled gently closed.

Emily's coughs rang out…

He wouldn't go in. It would only wind the little girl up further to wonder where her Mom had got to. From the sounds of it, Emily needed to rest…sleep…hopefully Missy would be back with the cough syrup that could help alleviate Emily's symptoms, and help her to calm and drift off.

The merc settled himself down onto Missy's couch before gazing around. For the first time he realised he had never actually seen the inside of her apartment before. Not with the lights on at least. But now no boxes littered the floor, only a couple of Emily's toys and a pair of Missy's patent high heels.

The room was neat and tidy and Wade couldn't help but feel relaxed, and almost _at home_ here…

He smiled gently to himself as he sat up, pulling towards him a large drawing that lay beside the phone number Missy had left for him.

It was a haphazardly-drawn picture filled with red blobs Wade could only presume were supposed to be people, one of them with yellow hair- he could only imagine was Missy.

From what he could make out, there were three figures altogether. Three.

If the smallest one was Emily and the yellow-haired figure- Missy, who was the third?

Missy was a single-mom, there was no doubt about that…. the way she acted like a lioness, protecting her cub at all costs. But she was attractive and just…..amazing….there was no doubt in Wade's mind that she wasn't dating…or at least been in a relationship of late.

And besides, Emily hadn't just appeared out of thin air…she had to have a Dad…was he still on the scene? Missy hadn't mentioned him….although Wade had never asked…too busy flirting with her to ask her _anything,_ in fact. He reprimanded himself internally.

He was a fucking jackass sometimes and he knew it, but his heart was in the right place.

Wade dropped the picture back onto the coffee table, just as a sudden voice over his shoulder made him jump in fright.

"I did pikshur."

Wade swung around, to see Emily stood there in little yellow bumblebee pyjamas, her soft brown hair tied up in a little bow.

Her face looked red and her eyes were puffy, like she had been crying.

"Heeeey there Em-bear," said Wade giving her a gentle smile. "What are you doing up?"

The little girl didn't answer but merely scrunched up her sleeve in her sticky hands, letting out another piercing cough.

Wade winced at the sound. That cough sounded painful.

"Want me to take you back to your bed?" he said turning to face her fully, perching on the edge of the couch cushion. "Your mommy has just gone to get you some medicine…and hopefully she will buy me some more ice cream after you two ate all mine the other week. You remember that?"

But again, Emily didn't answer.

Wade half expected that the cough had worsened the toddler's _already_ -poor hearing.

Emily merely gave him the most-heart wrenching look he had ever seen and approached him, suddenly grasping his knee with her sticky paw and trying to lift herself onto his lap.

"I did pikshur,"she repeated, pointing over to the crayon-drawing on the table and giving another cough.

Wade's heart melted there and then, and in an instant, he had picked Emily up and lifted her onto his lap.

"Theeere you go," he said as she wriggled about on his knees, finally coming to rest next to him on the couch, her little hand on his leg. "You want this?"

Leaning over, Wade grasped up the drawing once more.

"Pikshur…" she repeated again, pointing at the red blobs with her chubby fingers, giving a sniffle and wiping at her nose with her other hand, which she instantly placed back down onto Wade's jeans straight after.

Wade couldn't help but smile, as she nuzzled her little body close to him, coughing again.

"Is that you?" he asked, as the little girl let out a nod. "And this is your Mommy?"

Emily gave a little yawn. "That vam-ire Mommy…she pwety…"

Wade agreed, grinning.

"Oh she is _very_ pretty!" he said in a serious voice, pointing down at the two thick red lines Emily had drawn beneath the figure. "And _gorgeous_ legs, by the way!"

Emily, who obviously didn't appreciate Wade's humour, snuggled her little head beneath his arm, giving another wet-sounding sniffle.

"An tha Waydee," she said pointing to the third red blob.

Wade didn't think he could adore one little girl more that he already did, but he had been mistaken.

He peered down at the toddler who was busy scrunching the corner of the paper in her hands.

"That's me?" he asked her gently, giving a gulp.

Emily nodded, coughing once again, the sound echoing through the room.

"You an Mommy vam-ires and tha me…" she said quietly, her voice croaky.

Wade smiled placing his arms around her, pulling her tiny little body into him.

That made her happy.

Emily snuggled down into his soft t-shirt, folding up her tiny bee-covered legs beneath her and closing her eyes.

She coughed and her little form shook beneath his grasp momentarily, before settling once again.

And it was only a matter of seconds….before little Emily's breathing shallowed and she became still….falling fast asleep.

Wade didn't dare move, he merely remained there, his thumb rubbing across her tiny warm back.

Only a minute or two passed, before Wade heard the door open behind him.

"Sorry….I rushed back as soon as I could-" said Missy suddenly, hurrying into the room, brandishing a white package of children's cough syrup, but she suddenly stopped in tracks as she saw the sight that met her eyes…

Wade glanced around to see Missy standing there, mouth open slightly, as she gazed down at the pair of them.

"She's only just dropped off…." he whispered with a small smile. "She wanted to show me her picture."

Wade pointed to the crayon drawing of the three of them.

Missy relaxed a little, letting out a long breath, before the corners of her lips curved up into the smallest of smiles.

"Yeah, she showed me that yesterday…" she said glancing down at the floor. "Sorry…she just likes you I guess."

But Wade merely beamed.

"Don't apologise!" he said staring back at her. "Can I keep it? It will look great on my fridge next to my coupon for half-off pizza."

Missy gave a chuckle, nodding.

"Of course," she replied, her warm eyes meeting his. "She would love that."

After a second, a moment of comfortable silence fell between the pair, the only sound between them being the horse breathing of little Emily on Wade's lap.

Missy walked over to him, gently picking up the little girl and holding her close to her chest.

Emily didn't stir…

Wade looked up at the pair of them, adoration in his eyes.

"So…" he said smirking. "You got a matching pair of those bumble-bee pyjamas hidden away in _your_ bedroom?"

Missy merely smirked back.

Back to her usual self….her worry drifting away…

Wade got to his feet, snatching the drawing as well as the scrap of paper beside it.

"Oh and I'm taking your number by the way," he said matter-of-factly. "So expect some emoji-filled texts from yours truly VERY soon!"

Missy rolled her eyes, letting out a laugh, before heading over towards one of the bedrooms, holding Emily tightly in her arms.

"I'll let myself out," he grinned, staring down at the crayon drawing of the three of them once more, before strolling over to the front door.

"Thanks…for tonight…" came Missy's sudden voice, as he turned back towards her. "I appreciate it….I really do…."

She gave him a soft smile, stroking Emily's back with her hand.

Wade returned the smile, before nodding and hauling open the front door.

"Oh and Wade," came Missy's voice one last time, causing him to stop in his tracks and glance over at her.

This time she was biting her peach lips. She looked him up and down.

"I don't wear pyjamas to bed…" she uttered, giving him a long and lingering look, before smirking, wrinkling her nose and heading into the bedroom, disappearing out of sight.

Wade stared after her longingly as she went, before turning back to the door and raising his eyes to the heavens.

"Oh…. _fuck me_ …" he mouthed in awe, as he headed back out into the corridor, and pulled Missy's front door shut behind him.

* * *

...

 **Should I really carry on with this? Not sure if anyone is really reading. Comparatively to my other fics I'm barely getting any views. Which kinda sucks.**

 **I'm really grateful to those who reviewed the last chapter- starrat, Legolas Girl 31, TJ, Claire, Trappy and Dean, dancindonna, RomansBride, Guest, AngiMK, RandomFandoming and kaayrakoi.**

 **Do you think I should continue because if not I'll go back to my other Deadpool/Missy fic and leave this one as it is? Some feedback on what you like about the fic/chapters would be awesome.**

 **Please review!**


	7. Chapter 7

A few days passed, with Emily's cough gradually subsiding.

Missy, had had to take a few days off work, which of course, hadn't particularly gone down well with the other staff members in her office. She barely had anyone who spoke to her as it was….but the whispers only seemed to worsen.

 _"_ _You think_ _ **I**_ _can get extra time off if_ _ **I**_ _have a kid?"_ – Missy had heard one woman utter in a carrying whisper as she passed the copier one day.

Missy had instantly dropped her head and hurried back to her desk, hiding her red face from everyone.

Things were not really getting any easier for Emily either. The cough had only made her hearing worse…causing the little girl to jump in fright, at the loud noises the other kids in day-care made.

So both of them were obviously excited when Saturday finally came, and they could spend the entire day together.

Just the two of them, with nothing to care about in the world.

It was a cold, crisp morning in December, and Missy was just getting Emily into her little red boots ready for a trip to the park to see the newly decorated Christmas trees.

Emily was sitting there quiet and happy, watching her mother crouched down before her. Emily always did this. Always watched Missy so carefully, mirroring and copying everything that Missy did. One of the little girl's favourite things was to try and style her own hair as Missy did hers in the mornings.

"So are you excited to see the ducks today, baby?" Missy asked Emily gently, pushing her foot into her little bootie.

Emily nodded. "Duks?" she enquired, her eyes wide.

Missy merely smiled. "Yeah, we can feed them if you want?" she said, getting to her feet. "But let's get your coat on. It's freeeezing out there."

But as Missy stood, her phone suddenly buzzed loudly across her nightstand.

She rolled her eyes but couldn't help but let out a small smile.

She knew exactly who _that_ was…

Since getting her number, Wade had been texting her relentlessly. He _had_ promised to bombard her with boundless emoji-filled texts and boy had he delivered!

Every morning as if on cue, he would send her a text, most of them filled with nothing more than a little egg emoji and the word **[Breakfast?]**.

And Missy every day replied with the same thing…

 **{Busy, sorry. Gotta work. M}**

But today, as Missy picked up her phone she grinned as she saw his message.

 **[*egg emoji* Breakfast? And DON'T say you have to work, Ms Oh-So-Perfect…because it's a Saturday. *streamers emoji*]**

Missy bit her lip, staring down at her phone for the longest of moments, before typing a hasty reply.

 **{We're going to the park to feed the ducks….but if you happen to be around, I guess we might catch you at the little coffee stand on the corner of ninth. M}**

Missy smiled to herself as she pressed send.

She had actually been hoping to run into him…just to say thank you of course, for him coming over and minding Emily for her last weekend.

Apart from the daily texts, she had barely heard a peep out of her neighbour. The only time she even noticed him was the slamming of his door late at night, after he had gotten home from whatever bar, she presumed, he frequented.

Not that she missed him or anything…

Giving a slight inward sigh, Missy turned back to Emily, giving the little girl a soft smile.

Regardless of whether or not Wade turned up, Missy was still going to make this the loveliest day.

In five minutes, the pair had pulled on their warm winter coats and were now headed towards the park, hand-in-hand, a bag of stale bread crusts shoved into Missy's pocket.

The street was fairly quiet but even so, Emily didn't speak.

Missy knew that the little girl found it hard to concentrate on someone talking from her side. And so Missy always kept all conversation until they had come to a stop.

But crossing the street, Emily's little eyes suddenly widened as she pointed at something in the distance.

The little girl mumbled something Missy didn't quite catch.

As they reached the sidewalk, Missy crouched down in front of her daughter, adjusting her tiny red bobble hat.

"What's wrong sweetie?" she asked her, Missy's face full of concern.

"Tha Waydee," said Emily, her tiny mittened paw suddenly waving up at a figure, strolling towards them.

Missy glanced up, her eyes instantly meeting with his.

There was Wade, as casual as ever, sheepskin jacket thrown haphazardly over a white vest, barely even acknowledging that it was freezing out, strolling towards them, a wide grin plastered over his features.

He waved back cheerily.

"Well isn't this a surprise…" he said, his tone thick with sarcasm. "Running into your two gorgeous Princesses like this."

Missy couldn't help but roll her eyes.

"Aren't you freezing?" she merely asked him, shooting him a playful look.

"Aren't you smokin' hot?" he retorted almost instantly, his eyes travelling down her wrapped up form.

Missy scoffed, but before she could even say another word, much to her surprise, Emily had detached her little hand from Missy's, and run toward Wade, waddling over on her chubby little legs.

"I goin see duks," she said in her croaky little voice, holding her arms up towards him and making grabbing motions with her hands.

It was obvious what she wanted.

Missy smiled to herself, as Wade lifted Emily into his arms. She was never normally like this with people. Never normally got attached so quickly.

"Ducks?" he said in amazement, as Emily pawed at his chest with her red-mittens. "Well it's lucky I'm here isn't it? Because I know all the best places to see those noisy little quackers."

Emily giggled shyly at his words, as Wade turned to Missy, who was stood there staring at the two of them, her eyes narrowed slightly, but a smile lingering over her pursed lips.

"Oooh, but I think by the look on your Mommy's face, she needs a _very_ strong coffee first," said Wade goadingly, before turning back and jiggling the little girl in his arms. "What do you think Chicken-Little?"

Emily, who was busy chewing on her mitten and staring at Wade's long face in awe, gave a slow nod.

Missy let out a snort, raising an eyebrow.

"Why?" she asked, folding her arms across her pale blue coat. "You buying?"

But Wade merely grinned back.

"Of course," he said matter-of-factly ,strutting over to her, Emily still his arms. "But you realise that if you'd accepted my offer of breakfast sooner, you'd have had breakfast paid for all this week, by yours truly."

Something passed between the pair of them, as Wade came to stand close to her.

Missy felt her heart begin to pound inside her chest and a warmth spread through her.

As Missy smirked, her green eyes meeting Wade's chocolate ones, Emily turned to look at her mom.

"Mommy kissh Waydee," she said looking back and forth between the pair, and lifting her drool covered mitten to Missy's face.

But Missy ducked gently away from the toddlers grasp, her face almost immediately flushing red.

"Uh….I did _not_ make her say that…" murmured Wade, giving a grin, as Emily turned back to him and proceed to grab at his ear with her wet paw. "Although….maybe we _should_ do as she says…"

Missy shook her head, laughing, as Wade flashed her an award-winning smile.

"Come on," she said gesturing over towards the coffee stand, tucked just to the right of the entrance to the park. "Mine's a latte."

Wade stared after her ,as Missy walked on ahead of them in her sky-scraper high-heels.

He turned to Emily and gave a nod, raising his eyebrows.

"I think your Mommy likes me…" he uttered in a soft voice, before the pair of them followed after her obediently.

* * *

 **Sorry I haven't updated in a week. You know that's not like me. Sorry. This chapter is only a small one, but hopefully I will get back into it soon.**

 **Thanks so much to Guest, Sabrina Colt, dancindonna, RomansBride, kaayrakoi, starrat, Claire, LegolasGirl31, XxxXCherriesXxxX, ShadowQueenKat, AngiMK, Guest, jonstar1034, kiera666, alleycat023, jeffhardyluvsme, Roseflame CrystalHeart, LittleMeep, RandomFandoming, Smaug the golden and PhanPhicAddict for reviewing the last chapter. I really appreciate every word you guys write!**

 **What did you think of this chapter?**

 **Please review!**


	8. Chapter 8

"Thanks for this," uttered Missy holding up her takeout cup of coffee and nodding at Wade.

The three of them were now walking through the park, Emily chewing on half a croissant and walking between them, holding Missy's hand.

Wade flashed Missy an easy grin.

"Oh this is just the start of your charm offensive from me," he said raising his scarred eyebrows towards her. "First it's breakfast, then I ask you out to dinner, and then by the end of next year we'll be jetting off on honeymoon together."

Missy smirked.

"Wow," she uttered in a sarcastic voice, rolling her eyes. "seems like you have it all planned out. Good luck with that."

Wade smirked back.

"Don't pretend you're not hot for me…" said Wade, shooting her a playful look. "I've seen the way you stare longingly at me across the hallway."

Missy shook her head, giving a sigh.

"You must be imagining things…" she said in a high voice, looking away from him, to stop him from seeing her slight smile. "One too many bumps to the head."

She glanced back over towards her neighbour, pushing her long caramel hair back over her shoulder and narrowing her eyes goadingly.

Wade merely locked his chocolate eyes onto hers and for the slightest of seconds Missy felt her stomach lurch with something she hadn't felt in a long, long time…

But the moment quickly passed, as Emily let out a sudden cry.

"Duks!" she said excitedly, pointing over towards the pond, with what was left of her limp, drool-covered croissant.

Missy smiled gently and crouched down beside her tiny daughter, looking into her little face. "And how do we say ducks, baby?"

With that, Missy raised her hand and removed Emily's glove with the other. And together the pair of them signed the word ducks with their hands, pursing together their digits like a duck's beak.

"Good girl!" said Missy happily, giving Emily a squeeze and pressing a kiss to her head.

Missy glanced up at Wade, her face bright, as she replaced Emily's mitten.

"We're leaning sign-language," she explained, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "Both of us…it's kinda hard-going…but she's way better at remembering it all than I am."

Wade beamed down at them and looked like he was about to say something, but the words never came…

Missy got to her feet again, teetering slightly on her high heels and pulled the bag of stale bread crusts from her pocket.

"So, shall we go feed the ducks?" Missy asked in a gentle voice as Emily looked up at her shyly.

The toddler lifted her limp croissant, titling her head questioningly.

"Yes, you can feed the ducks your pastry…" said Missy giving a small laugh, as the pair of them walked hand-in-hand down towards the pond.

Missy glanced over her shoulder at Wade.

"You coming?" she asked, gazing up at him.

Wade stood for a second, his face full of something Missy could not quite put her finger on, before he gave a nod and trudged over to them, grinning.

* * *

Five minutes later and Missy and Wade were stood on the side of the shallow duck pond watching as Emily tossed a small group of ducks one stale bread crust at a time.

The tall blonde couple were stood side-by-side, hands both stuffed into their pockets.

"So…." said Wade after a minute or two of comfortable silence. "….how has your week been?"

Missy looked up at him, a little taken aback.

No-one ever asked about her, or how she was doing. Apart from an occasional phone call from her aunt…Missy didn't have anyone…no one who cared about her, that was.

"Um…."

Just tell him it was fine…he doesn't want to hear about your crap week, Missy thought to herself.

"It was…okay…" uttered Missy glancing down at her shoes.

"Oh come on..," replied Wade almost instantly, glancing over at her. "Just okay?…I was expecting….spectacular…marvellous….fucking magnificent….…I mean, I could go on…"

"Please don't," said Missy with smirk, rolling her eyes, but she didn't look over at him. After a moment she gave a sigh, her shoulders tense. "I've just started this new job…and the job itself is fine, it's just…."

She paused, her eyes flitting down to her shoes once again.

"I just get the feeling no one really likes me…like they don't think I can work AND be a Mom, y'know?" she said her voice braking slightly. "Sorry I'm just…..venting."

Wade turned to face her.

"No, vent away…" he said, his eyes tracing her worried features. "At least in my line of work I don't have to deal with asshole colleagues…well, not all of the time anyway."

Missy, chewed on her lip, narrowing her eyes at him.

"What is it you say you did again?" she asked, her gaze finally meeting his.

But Wade merely shot her an easy smile.

"Ahhhh, well if I told you…you'd only move and I'd have to go through the whole bother of getting a new neighbour, introducing myself, getting their number, hanging out at the park with them. Not worth it…" he said giving her a faux-serious look.

Missy smiled, pursing her lips slightly.

"Come on…it can't be _that_ bad," she said, turning to face him, keeping half an eye on Emily standing just a couple of feet away from them. "What are you? Meter-Maid, telemarketer ….debt collector?"

Wade merely grinned as she mentioned the latter, but kept quiet.

"Nope sorry….you have to get to Level 21 of the Wade Wilson friendship game to find out that little whammy of a detail…" he muttered, before turning back to where Emily was busy trying to stroke one of the little ducks.

Missy grinned back, staring at Wade's long face for a moment.

He was so so hard to read…but she kind of liked that.

She too, turned back to Emily, just as the toddler glanced up at her.

"I cold," she said, holding a mashed up bread crust out towards Missy.

Missy gave a pout.

"Aw, baby," she uttered, lifting the little girl up into her arms. "Shall we go home and watch a movie, and get warm?"

Emily nodded before looking at Wade, holding the bread crust out towards him now. "An hot chwoclat?"

Missy was about to reply, but glancing up she realised Emily wasn't talking to her…

Wade cocked his head, giving an adoring smile.

"Three of my speciality hot chocolates' coming up," he said rubbing his hands together.

Missy flushed slightly, but Wade looked nonplussed and….happy.

Chewing on her lip once again, Missy dropped Emily gently back down, and took her tiny mittened hand in hers.

"Shall we go, sweetie?" she asked in a clear voice.

Emily nodded and the three of them began to walk around the pond, and towards the park exit. Up ahead were two large trees that had been decorated with twinkling Christmas lights, Missy steering them towards them.

"So…" said Wade, once again breaking the comfortable silence between them.

Missy was also _so_ used to keeping quiet while she and Emily walked, she barely noticed how silent she was.

"…you two got any plans for Christmas?" he asked in a carefree voice.

Missy looked over at him, before glancing away, her face becoming anxious.

"No….I um….we don't this year…." she said, feeling her shoulders start to tense and her heart begin to thud fretfully. "It'll be just the two of us."

Her voice wavered slightly at these words.

Wade was a quiet for a second before speaking.

"Emily not gonna see her Dad at all over the holidays?" he said, in a slow, careful voice, obviously not wanting to pry too much, when Missy gave so little away usually.

She stopped for a second, giving a gulp, clutching Emily's hand tighter in her own.

"It'll be just us…" she reiterated.

And that was the end of that.

Wade looked at her and gave a nod, but didn't push the subject any further.

"Ook Mommy, 'ights!" said Emily suddenly, her voice quiet.

Missy gave the toddler's hand a brief squeeze as Emily pointed over at the lit-up tree, just ahead of them.

"Aren't they pretty?" asked Missy crouching down beside her, and brushing the little girls' rosy cheek with her finger.

"Pwetty ike Mommy," said Emily, rubbing his nose quickly against Missy's.

"I can definitely back-up that statement," said Wade suddenly from behind them.

Missy shot him a look, before turning back to Emily.

"Alright, you two charmers," said Missy loudly, grabbing Emily around the middle and tickling at her sides gently, causing her to squeal in delight. "Home, before we freeze to death out here!"

"'Ome," repeated Emily, as Missy got to her feet and took her daughter's gloved hand.

But much to her surprise hers wasn't the only hand she reached for….

The little toddler turned, clutching at Wade's fingers gently with her tiny mittened paw.

Wade beamed down at her, his fingers closing gently around hers.

Missy stared at them both for a long moment…her breathing shallowing…

From the outside, anyone who'd have seen them, would have thought them the most perfect little family.

Missy flushed.

But they weren't and she knew that.

….she couldn't…

Missy gave an inward sigh before smiling gently and beginning to walk.

* * *

The three of them arrived home fifteen minutes later, cold and thoroughly in need of the warmth of one of their apartments.

But as they reached the hallway they shared, they paused a little awkwardly, before Emily broke the silence.

"How chwolcat?" she asked in a quiet voice, looking up at the tall Wade.

Missy faltered before pulling the hat from Emily's head and smoothing down her tuft of brown hair.

"Maybe Wade is busy sweetie…" she said in a gentle voice.

But their neighbour spoke instantly.

"Nope, free as a bird…" he said cocking an eye at her goadingly, before soon changing tac. "But if you didn't want me coming inside and ruining your movie day I can give you the recipe…for a small fee of course…"

He grinned fiendishly as Missy rolled her eyes.

She didn't want to know what that fee would be…. but she could take a guess…

"No, Waydee wach Jugglbuk," said Emily suddenly tugging at Wade's fingers, with her paw.

He gave the slightest of frowns as Missy explained.

"She means The Jungle Book," she said smiling. "It's her favourite. She likes the Tiger."

Wade grinned, before crouching down to Emily's level.

"You like a bad guy huh?" he asked, her face full of mock-surprise, as the little girl nodded, not really sure what she was agreeing to, her mouth hanging open, watching his every move carefully. "Well that is obviously why we get along like a house on fire, isn't that right Em-Bear?"

To Missy's utter surprise, Emily let out a little burst of laughter as she watched him speak.

"Jugglbuk," she repeated, stamping her little feet happily.

Missy let out a small snort of laughter too.

"Alright then, come on baby," she said pulling out her keys and pushing open her front door. "Let get inside and get your coat off."

* * *

Five minutes later Emily was snuggled up on the couch, legs tucked up underneath her, The Jungle Book playing on TV.

Missy grinned as the little girl watched, her eyes fixed to the screen. The sounds was turned down pretty low, but Missy knew that Emily just enjoyed the images on screen.

Turning on her heel, Missy headed into the kitchen where Wade was stood leaning up against the counter, arms folded, watching her as she entered the room. A pan of milk was boiling behind him.

"So," asked Missy folding her own arms across herself, smirking slightly , as she took a step towards him. "What makes your hot cholate so special? You got a secret ingredient?"

Wade merely grinned.

"Oh, baby," he uttered, shaking his head, and dipping his finger into the milk. "The secret ingredient is _love_...Ow hot!"

Missy rolled her eyes before strutting over.

"Here," she said nudging him aside and taking a peek at the milk and turning down the dial slightly.

But Wade stepped closer to her. "Ah, ah, ah….my recipe….my rules…." he uttered, turning the dial back up.

Missy narrowed her eyes at him smirking, but Wade kept his cholate eyes locked onto hers tauntingly.

"My kitchen, my rules," she jabbed back.

"Oh, you wanna _go_ , Hot-Mamma?" he retorted, cocking his head to the side and raising his scarred eyebrows.

Missy laughed, wrinkling her nose slightly as she did so.

Wade gazed at her, tugging on his lip with his teeth.

"You know, I've got a feeling a Emily is gonna grow up and be just as stunning as her Mom…you've both got that cute little nose wrinkle when you laugh…" he said charmingly.

Missy smirked, turning back to the pan…before the look slowly slipped from her face.

Wade gave a slight frown, catching her distant gaze.

"You alright?" he asked quietly, his tone a little more serious. "Sorry….if I've said something….you can just tell me to shut the fuck up."

"No…. its fine," said Missy gently, stirring the milk with a spoon. "I just….."

She sighed…..feeling all her emotions….all her worries, about to come flooding out….to this guy she barely even knew.

"….She's so perfect Wade…..and I'm just worried about her all the time…is she happy, is she safe…I just….I mean looking after any two year old is stressful…. but Emily…..I just always hope that she's happy with me ….I try and do my best…but people just take one look at us and they…." Missy paused taking a breath. "It's like they think 'oh single mom, and her daughter is deaf too' like it was my fault and….I just stress about everything….like I know she hates going to day-care but I don't have any other choice…I have to work…I mean rent alone in this city is crazy…but I was just sick of relying on my aunt, y'know, and-"

Missy stopped, catching herself, her eyes full to the brim with tears.

She gave a steadying breath, letting go of the spoon suddenly and letting it clang back into the saucepan.

"…I-I'm sorry….you didn't need to hear that…I should go check on Emily…I…"

Missy made to turn, her head bowed low, embarrassed by her outburst.

But a sudden hand grasped her forearm firmly.

"Hey," came Wade's voice.

And for the first time in a few moments, Missy looked up into Wade's dark-brown eyes.

His face was soft and all that cockiness, that swagger, seemed to have fallen away from him. The way he was looking at her now…Missy felt the tears begin to spill over her eyes.

"…I know it might not count for much…" came Wade's voice, firm and grounded. "…But I'm here…and I'm always gonna be here…and I'm just across the hallway, you understand?"

Missy stared at him, long and hard for what felt like an eternity, before nodding and wiping at her eyes wide the sleeve of her white blouse.

"…I'm sorry…" she repeated, but Wade frowned immediately.

"Don't apologise ….alright?" he said giving a nod, his thumb tracing gentle circles across her forearm. "And for the record, I think you are a fucking amazing Mom….and if that little girl grows up to be anything like you….jeez, then this whole fucking universe need to watch out. 'Coz that would be perfection right there."

Missy gave a small laugh, as Wade let go of her arm.

"So…" he said eventually, his own face breaking into a wide contagious grin. "Are you ready to try another of Wade Wilson's speciality hot cholate's. So good even Wee Princess Emily wanted another one."

Missy chuckled, wiping away the remains of the mascara from underneath her eyes.

"Oh, so ready…." she said smiling up at him, her gaze never leaving his.

* * *

"Check out Mowgli getting some…" said Wade an hour later, one eyebrow cocked at the TV as the credits rolled across the screen.

Missy laughed.

Emily was sat on the couch, curled up into Missy, snoozing, taking her regular afternoon nap. After her hot chocolate, she had barely made it through two-thirds of the movie.

Missy's arms was wrapped lovingly around the little girl, feeling the rise and fall of her tiny chest as she slept.

Wade who was sat in the small armchair to their right shot them a smile.

"Well then…" he said gently, afraid that he would wade up the sleeping toddler. "….I should leave you both to it…"

He got silently to his feet, pulling on his sheepskin jacket as Missy looked at him.

"You off out tonight?" she asked, conversationally, her green eyes looking him up and down.

He stared back.

"Work actually," he said with a nod, before suddenly pointing a finger towards her. "….and hey, no stalking me to find out what I do either."

Missy smirked, as Wade reciprocated.

She bit her lip as he made his way to the door.

"Thanks Wade…" she uttered suddenly, surprising even herself. She didn't elaborate on what she was thanking him for, but he could guess.

He flashed her a smile, tugging open the door.

"No problem…" he said confidently, glancing back at her over his shoulder. "Oh and I'll text you in the morning…about breakfast. Next time its on you."

And with that Wade shot Missy a wink, before closing the door with a snap behind him, leaving Missy laughing.

The caramel-haired woman merely pulled Emily into her more, and sat there in a warm, comfortable silence, a small smile still lingering on her face.

* * *

 **Sorry if that was a rubbish chapter.**

 **Thanks to jeffhardyluvsme, TJWadeTJ,dancindonna, Smaug the Golden, kaayrakoi, Legolas Girl 31, starrat, RandomFandoming, jonstar1034, AwesomeFanOtaku01, Raging Raven, Welisarne, AngiMK and Guest for reviewing the last chapter.**

 **Let me know your thoughts on this one, sorry if it was a bit crap.**

 **Please review!**


	9. Chapter 9

It was a Sunday afternoon, and Wade was sprawled out across Missy's living room floor, his body covered with various brightly colored Christmas bows and a tonne of sticky tape.

Two weeks had passed and since Wade's trip to the park with Missy and Emily, his presence in their lives had tripled, at the very least.

The first couple of days afterwards, he had knocked on their door the moment after they had arrived home after work and day-care. Missy had of course rolled her eyes, but invited him in for half an hour. It was just for Emily's benefit, was what Missy told herself.

Emily adored him, that was obvious, her little green eyes seemed to light up the moment she saw him and she would raise her chubby little arms and make grabby gestures at him until he picked her up into his strong arms.

But that mere half an hour, after two weeks, had gradually increased day by day.

And now, Wade had been here for the past two hours, he and Emily having _far_ too much fun playing with the sticky tape and various other Christmas wrapping utensils Missy had fished out from a large cardboard box she had come across.

"Hey you two," she uttered, walking into the living room, a smirk upon her delicate features. "What's going on?"

Having Wade there had given Missy the time to wrap Emily's gifts from 'Santa' but now that was all done, she had come in to see what all the commotion was about.

Emily, who was busy crawling over Wade's stomach and wrapping his torso in ribbon, looked up at her mom, her tiny mouth hanging open.

Wade merely sat up, grasping Emily around the middle and giving her a gentle tickle.

"Chicken Little here, has decided that I look good enough to wrap up and leave under your tree on Christmas morning…" he said as the toddler giggled, squirming from his grasp. "You wanna unwrap me, Yummy-Mommy?"

Missy rolled her eyes, picking Emily up in her own arms, sitting down onto the arm of the couch and pulling the little girl onto her lap.

"Not. A. Chance," she said in a playful voice, jiggling Emily on her knee and looking directly into her eyes. "Mommy wants some Tiffany earrings and not an annoying neighbor under her tree, isn't that right baby?"

Wade merely chuckled as Emily wriggled from Missy's grasp, dropping to the floor and waddling back over to Wade.

"Waydee play," she said, her tiny hand immediately grasping his for his ear and giving in a small tug.

"Owwwweee," he said in a faux-pained voice, giving her an exaggerated pout.

But Emily merely lifted a bow and stuck it to his lips before giving a quiet giggle and running off to hide behind Missy's slender legs.

Wade suddenly burst into laughter, plucking the crimson bow from his mouth and getting to his feet.

He strolled over towards Missy and Emily, pretending to make a slow grab for the little toddler, who ran from the room shrieking with giggles.

He turned to Missy, who merely looked up at him, one eyebrow raised, but didn't say a word.

"And what's your problem, Miss 'Perfection in Human Form'?" he said, slowly raising an eyebrow of his own. "What's that look for?"

Missy stood, coming to stand extremely close to him, before plucking a, Christmas tree-patterned, ball of sticky tape from his white t-shirt.

"I was just wondering how many kids you have squirreled away in this city?" she asked, slipping past him and strutting into the kitchen, opening the trash can with her foot. "Because you are way too good with her to not have any children of your own."

Wade, who had followed close behind her and now stood, leaning up against the door frame, his arms folded across his broad chest, gave a smirk.

"Nope…I'm child-free and care-free," he said promptly. "But if you're offering. I'd be up for making some beautiful babies _with you_."

Missy laughed, shaking her head.

"Do you ever get tired of being a flirt?" she asked, titling her head at him.

But Wade sauntered toward her. "Well I only flirt with the women I like…like _really_ like…. Like really, _REALLY_ like."

He stood staring down at her, goadingly.

She flushed quickly, smiling and turning away from him, just as Emily ran into the kitchen.

"Ca I snak?" she asked in a quiet voice, looking up at her Mom.

"Sure you can, sweetie," Missy uttered in clear tone. "But what do we say?"

And to her delight, and for the first time since they had practiced it, Emily signed the word please with her hand.

"Good job!" said Missy loudly, stroking the top of Emily's head. She handed her two small strawberries from a dish on the counter. The little girl bit into them immediately, her mouth covered in red juice, before running back into the living room.

Missy looked back up at Wade, just as his phone beeped loudly in his pocket. Plucking it out, he gave a frown as he stared at the screen.

"Something the matter?" asked Missy, blinking up at him.

Wade paused for a moment.

"It's work," he uttered giving a small groan. "I've got a big job coming up…. and if I don't take it someone else will."

Missy smirked.

"So you _ever_ going to tell me what is it you do?" she asked folding her arms across her chest.

Wade gave a grin. "Nope," he said popping the 'p'. "I guess I'll just have to keep being tall, dark and mysterious for you."

He raised an eyebrow playfully, as Missy smiled back.

"Well my guess is you've either got a god-awful job, you don't want anyone finding out about…..OR you're one of those superheroes you see on TV…with some sort of secret identity."

She shot him a teasing look as Wade stared back at her happily, giving a sigh.

"And what does that make you? The damsel in distress?" he asked taking a step towards her and titling his head.

But Missy merely flashed him a coy smile, strutting past him.

"I don't need rescuing…" she said smoothly, nudging him with her hip as she walked by.

Wade gave another, this time shuddering, sigh, as he watched her go, a wide grin forming across his features.

Missy pursed her lips, bending down to pick up the mass of sticky tape that had been balled on the floor by Emily, as Wade watched her.

She could feel his gaze on her, as she tidied up her tiny living room, placing all the festive bits and pieces back in the box.

"So you a bit of a Christmas Scrooge, huh?" asked her blonde neighbor after a brief moment of two, causally leaning up against the kitchen door frame.

Missy looked up at him questioningly.

"Christmas decorations…." he uttered gazing around. "No tree….and what's it today? December 14th?"

Missy shrugged her shoulders, placing the small box down onto her dining table.

"We don't have any…" she said her eyes suddenly falling to the floor. Her voice was different now. Quieter. She gave a gulp, turning away from him and plucking one of Emily's stuffed animals from the couch and placing it into the toddler's basket of toys in the corner of the room. "We…..er….used to….but…um…."

She scratched her head, placing a hand to her hip and staring up at him. "…I haven't got around to buying any this year…."

Wade stared at her for what felt like the longest of moments, his eyes roving across her delicate features, the smallest hint of a frown between his brows.

A silence pierced the room. A silence where Missy could almost hear her heart plunging into her stomach and that feeling of panic and fear start to rear its ugly head once again.

"Well lucky for you I have a tonne of terribly tacky decorations in my closet you can have..." said Wade suddenly, his face forming into an easy grin once again. "Each one more ugly than the last…"

Missy smiled before she could help herself, and gave a small laugh, relaxing a little, and tucking her long caramel hair behind her ear.

Biting on her lip, she looked up at him, almost shyly.

"That would be great…thank you."

Wade beamed just as Emily ran back in the room, her face covered in strawberry juice.

The toddler waddled up to Wade, pressing two green, gooey strawberry stalks into his palm.

"Wow," said Wade instantly, crouching down before the little girl and holding the stalks aloft. "Jeez, these for me?"

Emily nodded, her little mouth hanging open, staring up at him.

"Well I'm going to treasure them forever," he said giving her cheek a small stroke with his free hand, before getting to his feet once more.

"You got to go?" asked Missy, who had been watching the pair interact, smiling as she did so.

Wade glanced her way.

"'Fraid so…." he said, strolling towards the front door as Emily followed behind him. "But I'll be back later with those Christmas decorations. ….I promise."

Missy chewed on her lip as Wade glanced down at Emily.

"Pwomish?" the toddler repeated, her little words slightly slurred. She had obviously been listening intently to every word he had said.

Wade grinned.

"I promise, Chicken-Little," he said tugging open the front door.

He shot Missy one last look, before leaving and pulling the door closed behind him with a snap, the two strawberry stalks still safe in his hand….

Missy stared at the front door long and hard for what was at least a minute or two after Wade had gone, before Emily ran towards her.

"Waydee gonn?" she asked, staring up at Missy with wide-green eyes.

Missy gazed down at her tiny daughter before giving a laugh and staring at her strawberry-juice covered face.

"Wade's gone, but he promised he'll come back and see us later, OK?" said Missy bending down at lifting Emily into her arms. "But I think you, young lady, need a bath….look at the state of you!"

But Emily shook her head, poking her little tongue out, giving a giggle.

"Noh baff…" she said shaking her head naughtily.

Missy laughed again, balancing Emily on her hip and taking her little chubby hand in hers as they walked towards their bathroom. "Yes you do."

"Noh," said Emily again.

"Yes."

"Noh…"

"Yes."

"Noh, Mommy…"

Missy laughed.

* * *

 **Thanks so much to Wellisarne, dancindonna, RomansBride, TJWadeTJ, starrat, Raging Raven, Legolas Girl 31, srosal1, AngiMK, AwesomeFangirlOtaku01, kaayrakoi and LilyMyDeer for reviewing the last chapter.**

 **Let me know your thoughts on this chapter.**

 **Please review! :)**


	10. Chapter 10

Missy sighed, staring out of the window…

Snow had begun to drift across the city, barely enough to make a light dusting on the sidewalk, but nevertheless, snow was still snow, and Emily was transfixed by it.

Anything that couldn't take the little girl's mind off Wade was a blessing..

Wade had unfortunately broken his promise…and had not returned that night with Christmas decorations for them …neither Missy nor Emily heard from him the following day…

Missy had wanted to swallow her pride and send him a text, even going so far as to pick her phone up, her fingers hovering over Wade's number, but she had quickly placed her cell down again.

Perhaps he was just like the rest of them…

Missy had worried at her lip as Emily had asked about him…wondering where he had got to.

"Waydee pwomis?" the toddler had said in a slurred voice, titling her head up at Missy.

In Emily's eyes a promise had been a promise. And to let her down like that….yes, he was definitely just like the others.

It was now Monday evening, around a day and a half since they had seen or heard from their neighbour.

"Snaw," said Emily, who had crawled up onto the back of the couch to watch the white whispy-flakes drift by the window.

Missy smiled gently, nodding and toying with Emily's tufty brown hair which was today tied up with a bright red bow.

"Yeah, snow, baby," she said in a soft voice.

"Ca we see Waydee?" asked the little girl after what was barely a beat, peering up at Missy with wide green eyes.

Missy gave a gulp.

This was why it was always just the two of them…other people only let them down…..…broke their hearts…

"I don't know, sweetie," murmured Missy, trying to desperately think of a way to change the subject.

A promise was a promise, in _her_ eyes too.

"Listen…how about we get you in the bath and ready for bed, ok?" smiled Missy, picking Emily up into her arms, with a slight groan. "You can wear your new Rudolph jammies your Great Aunt Leslie sent up for you, yeah?"

Emily nodded, chewing on her finger as Missy carried her into the bathroom.

* * *

Missy, having bathed Emily in a tonne of bubbles and read her a story before she drifted off, walked into the kitchen.

She hadn't even had a chance to change from work, still in her navy pencil skirt and pale blue blouse. But her high-heels had long been kicked off. So now Missy padded across the tiled floor on bare-feet, grabbing a mug, and flicking on the kettle.

All she wanted now, was a hot drink and her _own_ bed.

But before the kettle had even had a chance to boil, there came a sudden gentle knock on the front door.

Missy froze momentarily, not knowing whether she had been hearing things. It was only 7.30 but Missy never had visitors.

It was only one person it was likely to be and Missy was still angry with him. After all, he had let Emily down. Broken a promise to her.

That was all Missy was angry about…of course it was…

She scowled, storming through into the living room and out into the hallway, before tugging the front-door swiftly open. But her angry expression faltered slightly as she saw what was on the other side…

Stood there, was indeed the man she had expected, Wade Wilson…

…but his face was covered in dried, red blood, that had obviously poured from a fresh wound, just above his eyebrow.

He stood, propped up against the wall, beside her door, clutching at his side and breathing hard.

"Hey there, beautiful Mama-bear," he said, flashing her a half smile. But Missy could tell that he was in a lot of pain.

"Wade?" said Missy questioningly, her mouth agape and her eyes widening.

And she barely had a second to react, as Wade stumbled forwards, his body giving way beneath him.

Clutching her hands to his chest, she managed to keep him upright, dragging him hurriedly over to the couch trying not to hurt him in the process.

She had seen him a little bruised in the past…that time when she and Emily had trick or treated at his door, but that was nowhere close to this extent.

She eased him down onto the couch-cushions, hearing him give a groan of pain as he sat, his entire body feeling limp beneath her grasp.

"Sorry I missed you last night…" he murmured. "I got kinda…. _held up_."

Missy's eyes travelled across his bloody face. One of his eyes was swollen and puffy, but there was honesty in his gaze.

"W-What happened Wade?" she asked shaking her head.. "Who did this to you?"

But Wade let out, what sounded like a chuckle, but his voice was too hoarse.

"Perks of the job…" he merely uttered, his brown eyes falling to the floor.

Missy let out a long breath of air.

Maybe Wade was dangerous….maybe he was _far_ too dangerous to be around Missy and her daughter…

Every parental instinct she had, was telling her to throw him out there and then….but Missy remembered how Emily had looked at him….

How his presence in their lives had made the little girl so full of life….happier than Missy had ever seen her.

Missy paused…looking down at him…before making up her mind…

It only took her a few moments to gather everything she needed and she was back, perching before him on the edge of her coffee table.

"I'm gonna need you to sit up, sweetie…" she said before she could stop herself. She noticed Wade let out a smirk.

"I should get myself beaten up more often…" he said pulling himself up with great difficulty, wincing as he did so. "If it means I get an upgrade from 'annoying neighbour' to 'sweetie'.

Missy rolled her eyes.

"I need to get this jacket off you," she said, in a soft tone, ignoring him comment. "See what damage's been done."

And with that, Missy gently pushed his tartan sheepskin coat from his broad shoulders, helping him slip his arms out of the sleeves one by one.

She was relieved to see there was no blood at the side he was clutching, but could already see the enormous purple bruise that had blossomed across his ribs, through his white vest.

"So you gonna tell me who did this to you?" Missy asked, placing his coat, down onto the far end of the couch, leaning in close to him, tilting her head slightly, causing her long caramel hair to trail across his knee. "I have Emily to think about…should I be worried about this neighbourhood?"

Wade opened his mouth to say something but swiftly closed it again, shaking his head. It was a second or two before he finally spoke.

"This happened across town…" he uttered, staring into her eyes. "…you don't need to be worried. I got myself into this fucking mess…"

Missy, looked a little worried. "I-Is it drugs?" she asked, her voice quiet.

But Wade merely shook his head once again, before giving a long sigh, that Missy felt had nothing to do with the pain.

"It's not drugs…Geez…I know you're gonna kick me out when I tell you this and probably never wanna fucking speak to me again….but just know I'd never have put you or Emily in danger. EVER!," he said, before pausing, and running a hand down his bloody face. "I'm a mercenary….in other words…I get paid a lot of money to do a lot of bad things…"

His eyes, once again, drifting downwards, landing on his knees.

"I'm just a bad guy that gets paid to fuck up worse guys…and this time it backfired," he said, slowly. "Epically. So yeah, that's what I do for a living…not a gigolo or a meter maid."

Missy froze, her green eyes on his face, searching his features. Her stomach lurched slightly, a feeling lingering there that she hadn't felt in a long, long time.

"You're not a bad guy…" Missy murmured suddenly, picking a clean white facecloth and dipping it into the bowl of warm water she had brought over, before dabbing it to his temples. "Emily doesn't think so at least."

Almost instantly Wade's eyes drifted up, his gaze meeting with hers.

"And _do you_ think so?" he asked her after a second or two, his voice quiet.

Missy merely blinked, lifting her fingers gently to his chin.

"I don't either…" she uttered softly, her heart thudding within her ribcage, as she wiped the damp cloth down his long cheek.

Neither of them spoke, for what must have been about five minutes….until all the blood was gone, leaving just a puffy eye and a deep gash along his temple. But he looked a lot better to say the least.

Missy gulped, placing the, now red, cloth down into the water.

"We should take a look at your ribs…I think you might need to go to the hospital…" she said, biting on her lip.

But the merc grinned.

"Is this just an excuse for you to get me to take my shirt off?" Wade asked, raising a scarred eyebrow at her.

But Missy shook her head, shooting him a look. "Shirt, now, Wilson."

Wade gave a sigh, eventually doing as he was told, like a scolded child. He tugged his white vest from his head, giving a loud groan of pain as he did so.

"Fuuck me, that hurts!" he said with a groan, tossing his head back against the couch cushions and breathing hard.

Missy felt her breath catch in her throat slightly.

Wade was toned and fit...she had already known that….but his torso was broad and she could see that a hot slick of sweat had beaded at his collarbone.

She gave a gulp, feeling the tops of her cheeks getting warm, as she looked down at the bruise at his side.

It wasn't as bad as she first thought, but definitely looked very painful.

"I really think you should go to the hospital…" she said, a little concernedly, tracing the bruise with a mere whisper of a touch, trying not to hurt him. "They can check you out a-and make sure you're ok…"

But Wade gave a smirk. "Nah….I'll be fine…" he said with a pained shrug. "I've had worse than this, believe me."

Missy didn't want to believe him. She didn't want to imagine _worse_.

"But if you've got a pack of frozen peas in that freezer of yours I'd sure fucking appreciate it," he said, closing his eyes and giving a gulp of pain.

Missy peered up at him worriedly, before giving a nod and getting to her feet.

But she was just about to turn and walk away when Wade suddenly reached out for her hand.

"Hey…thanks…" he said, his tone different now, gentler almost, their fingertips brushing hers softly.

But Missy merely gave him a smirk.

"Well, you've done enough for us," she said in a half whisper. "I supposed I needed to return the favour."

With that, she dropped her eyes downwards, pulled her hand from his and walked into the kitchen.

At the freezer door, she gave a long sigh, her fingers gripping the handle tightly.

He was probably right…any normal person would have screamed at him and told him to go but here she was looking after him…taking care of the man from across the hall.

But there was no way she could believe that he was the man he described himself as.

With Emily he was so gentle…and with them both….well, he had taken care of them…like their guardian angel…from across the hallway.

Missy bit at her lip before pulling the door open and rummaging around for the pack of peas.

But as she headed back into the living room, less than a minute later, brandishing the freezing cold packet, she stopped abruptly at the sight that met her eyes.

"Baby, what are you doing up at this hour?" said Missy cocking her head slightly at Emily, who was now wriggling her little butt onto the couch beside Wade.

"Waydey…" said Emily in a quiet voice, giving a wide smile, before clambering onto his lap.

Wade gave an _'oof'_ of pain as her little knees collided with his bruised ribs, but didn't make a big deal of it, instead grabbing the little girl around the middle and tugging her into a more comfortable position.

Emily looked up at him, her little mouth falling open, and her chubby little hands reaching out for his puffy eye, but Wade laughed, holding her at arm's reach.

"Hey there Em-bear…aren't you supposed to be in bed?" he asked her, raising his eyebrows in her direction.

But Emily shook her head, giving a giggle and scrunching the sleeves of her little pyjamas in her hands. "Naww."

She pawed at his bare chest.

Missy smiled, folding her arms over her blouse and strolling towards them.

"Come on young lady," said Missy in a firm voice as Emily glanced up at her. "Wadey's not feeling very well, you need to let him get some rest."

And with that Missy made to lift Emily from his lap, but the little girl gave a pout, her bottom lip jutting out slightly.

Wade grinned.

"Well, you know what would make me feel a lot better?" said Wade in a playful tone, brushing his thumb across Emily's pudgy little cheek. "A cuddle before you say goodnight."

Emily looked at him with wide, green eyes.

"Cwuddle?" she asked, before her eyes drifted up to her Mom. "Mommy cwuddle Waydee too?"

At this, Wade's grin widened as Missy blushed a deep scarlet colour.

"Oh yeah, I would definitely appreciate a nice long cuddle from your Mommy too…" he said raising one single eyebrow in Missy's direction, as she tutted and rolled her eyes. "But just one from you would be awesome for now, and if I'm _lucky_ I might get one from your beautifully-hot Mommy later.…."

"Okway," said Emily happily giving a nod, before wrapping her arms suddenly around Wade's neck.

He smiled, giving her tiny back a little rub, before she finally let go and Missy heaved her from his arms.

"Right then, back to bed, Little Miss Mischief," she said rubbing her nose against Emily's, as the little girl giggled and the pair of them disappeared off into the bedroom.

* * *

It only took Missy a few minutes to get Emily tucked into bed, and back off to sleep.

Pulling the little girl's bedroom door shut behind her, she walked back into the living room, to where Wade was still resting on the couch, the pack of frozen peas pressed to his side.

She watched him for a long moment, before walking around him, tucking her long caramel hair behind her ear.

"Are you sure you don't want to go to the hospital?" she asked, wincing herself, just by the look on his pained face. But he merely shot her an easy smile.

"Nah, why would I do that when I've got my own super-hot nurse right here," he said teasingly.

Missy shook her head.

"But I was _sorta_ after a favour…." he said, looking up at her, her tone changing slightly. "So when I got beaten up they took my cell phone, wallet…and, well, my keys….so I was kinda hoping I might be able to crash here tonight… just until I can get to a locksmith tomorrow morning…"

He raised his hands aloft.

"You can say no…I have a buddy who owns a bar not far from here, so I can always-"

"Of course you can stay…" said Missy cutting across him, her voice serious.

Wade's eyes locked onto hers.

"Are you sure?" he asked gently. "Because I promise I'll be out of your hair before Emily even wakes up…"

But Missy smiled.

"It's fine…" she uttered, shaking her head. "She likes having you here…"

Right at that moment, something inside Missy was rising to the surface. Thoughts and feelings she had pushed away for so long, and yet that moment Wade and Emily had shared mere minutes ago, had brought it all to the surface.

Wade smiled back, plucking a cushion from the far side of the sofa and placing it behind his head.

"No, no…" said Missy suddenly taking a step towards him. "You should take my bed."

Wade looked up at her, the slightest of bemused frowns making its way across his face.

"As much as I would _love_ to be in your bed," he said in throwing her a playful look. "I'd prefer, in _both_ scenarios, for _you_ to be in it. I'm fine with the couch, seriously."

Missy bit her lip gently, staring down at the half naked merc before her.

"Well… you know where I am if you need anything?" she said tearing her eyes away from his, her cheeks flushing once again.

Wade looked skyward.

"As tempting as that sounds…I really think I would pass out before I even got past first base…" he said shaking his head, with a faux-sigh of longing. "But I'd definitely give it my best shot…"

Missy shook her head, smirking and tossing him a fluffy white blanket from her armchair, before heading off towards her bedroom.

"Night, Wade," she uttered, pausing at the door, her hand on the light switch.

"Night, gorgeous baby-momma," he replied, making himself comfortable, and settling down for the night.

Missy couldn't help but smile to herself, flicking off the light switch, before heading into her bedroom and shutting the door behind her with a the pair of them soon drifted off, into a warm comfortable sleep. The best either of them had had in a long while…

* * *

 **It's a slow burn. Sorry about that…but progress will be made…very soon…**

 **Thanks to dancindonna, starrat, Legolas Girl 31, Raging Raven, jonstar1034, AwesomeFangirlOtaku01, Smaug the Golden, AngiMK and petite-yoyo for reviewing the last chapter.**

 **Let me know what you thought about this chapter and what you think about Wade/Missy in this story so far.**

 **Please review!**


	11. Chapter 11

**It's a long one… :)**

* * *

Wade had been gone by the time Missy had woken the next morning.

She had appeared from the bedroom fully dressed, in a white blouse, pencil skirt and heels, hoping to see him still lying across her couch, all ruffled and handsome, with that same old cheeky grin he always seemed to carry.

But all that was left of the merc, was the bloodied cloth and bowl of water she had used to clean him up the previous night.

Missy gave a sigh, wandering into the kitchen, placing a pretty diamond stud into each ear as she did so.

* * *

Missy's work day was uneventful at best, but by the time 3.15 rolled around, Missy came to find that Emily had not had a good day at all.

As Missy came to collect her daughter from the brightly lit nursery three floors down, she was met with an older female staff member with a hard face and thin, pursed lips.

"She's been an absolute handful all day," said the woman shaking her head, without even as much as a hello. "She refused to join in with the other children, and just would NOT listen when I told her it was naptime…"

Missy lowered her chin, her eyes blackening.

"She's deaf… I made that very clear to your colleagues when she started here….you just have to take your time with her-" began Missy, but the woman cut across her sharply.

"She should be wearing a hearing-aid in that case," sneered the woman, looking at Missy disapprovingly.

Missy felt her cheeks burning.

"The hearing-aid makes her uncomfortable," Missy argued. "she doesn't like to wear it."

The woman tutted. "You're her Mother, you should be _making_ her wear it," she snapped. "Children in my day did as they were told…"

"But this isn't your day!" shouted Missy loudly, causing a couple of the children that were playing nearby, to look up at her curiously.

The woman glared at Missy crossly, before folding her arms over her chest.

"We are just not equipped to deal with children like _her_ at our day-care," said the woman, her voice patronising and sharp.

Missy was furious. Livid. And right at that moment, she wanted nothing more than to smack this woman right across her horrible face.

Angry tears threatened to spill over her eyes.

She turned away from the woman, quickly walking over to the corner of the room where Emily was sat quietly, alone and sad, with her coat already on. .

"Hey, baby," said Missy, her voice shaky, as she crouched down before her tiny daughter.

Emily looked up at her with big green eyes and Missy could see that she had been crying. Her eyes were red and puffy and her nose a little sniffly.

"Shall we go home?" asked Missy, titling her head and stroking back Emily's short brown hair.

The little girl nodded and gave an upset little sniff, getting to her feet and reaching her arms out for Missy.

Missy instantly lifted her daughter, carrying her toward the door on her high-heels, as Emily buried her face in Missy's coat.

"I highly suggest that if she wants to come back tomorrow that she should bring her hearing-aid, maybe then she will learn to behave," said the woman, as Missy approached her.

Missy could have burst into tears right at this second, and so ignored the woman, strutting straight past her. And through the glass doors.

It was no wonder that with staff like that, Emily disliked going to day-care. She knew it was likely that Emily had been shouted at as it definitely took a lot to make Emily cry.

But maybe Missy should do as the woman had said, maybe sending Emily to nursery with her hearing-aid was the right thing to do, but Missy knew that Emily hated it.

She would cry and plead with Missy to take it off until she was red in the face and utterly distressed.

Missy placed a hand to Emily's back comfortingly as the pair of them headed into the large elevator.

Suddenly before the door could close, two of Missy's female colleagues from her office a few floors up, followed them in.

They barely gave Missy even the slightest bit of acknowledgement, but for the slightest of seconds, she saw the two women exchange a glance between each other.

A roll of the eyes and a smirk between her two colleagues was all it took for a single silent tear to roll down Missy's cheek. She bowed her head, until the doors had slid open and the pair walked hurriedly out.

By now, Missy's face was wet with tears, and as they left through the revolving doors, she didn't even notice a familiar face leaning up against the wall of the big office tower beside them…waiting….

"You ignoring me, Yummy-Mommy?" came a sudden voice from their side.

Missy jumped slightly at the voice, before turning to face the figure.

There, of course, was Wade, a smile plastered across his long face. His eye was purple but the swelling had definitely gone down a lot.

He was dressed in a black hoodie and jeans, and in his arms was an enormous cardboard box.

But the merc's grin soon disappeared as he caught sight of Missy's face.

"Hey," he said, pushing himself from the wall and taking a step towards her, his gaze full of concern. "You alright?"

But Missy dragged her eyes from his, keeping her head bowed.

"No…" she said, her voice breaking slightly as she spoke.

She made to turn and walk away, not wanting anyone to see her in this emotional state, but felt Wade's sudden hand at her waist.

"Hey," he uttered once again, stopping her in her tracks and turning her to face him. His chocolate eyes travelled over her face. "Is it Emily?"

He glanced down at the little girl in Missy's arms, her face still buried in Missy's coat in an attempt to block out the world.

Missy shook her head.

"I think we've both just had a bad day…" she murmured, her voice quiet and her eyes dropping down to the sidewalk.

She didn't bother to elaborate. Why would Wade want to hear about her woes?

But she felt Wade's eyes remain on her as the seconds passed, his hand still lingering at her side.

"You wanna come and get a drink with me?" he asked her after a moment or two.

Missy finally looked up at him. His face was warm and soft, and right at that moment all she wanted to was have him tell her that everything was going to be OK.

"I-Ive got Emily," she said giving a gulp.

But Wade gave her an easy grin.

"I meant grab a coffee….but if it's tequila you're thinking about, I have an entire bottle at my apartment we can definitely go at later tonight…" the merc muttered, raising an eyebrow towards her.

Missy gave a small chuckle, wiping at her eyes with her free hand.

"As tempting as that sounds, I think I should take this one home…" said Missy, giving Emily's back a little pat. "She's not had the best of days."

At this, Emily lifted her head and her green eyes suddenly drifted to Wade.

"Waydee," she said with croak. "Laydy showted a me."

Emily made grabby hands for Wade,

The merc placed his box down onto the ground and reached out, plucking Emily from Missy's arms, a frown forming between his brows.

He looked up at Missy questioningly.

The caramel-haired woman gave a sigh.

"The woman from day-care…" she explained, running a hand over her tired face. "She was just an old witch."

"A witsh," repeated Emily with a nod, looking at that second so much liken her Mom.

Wade grinned, bouncing the little girl in his arms.

"Well you know what I think you should do?" he asked, in a playful voice, as Emily reached out and squished his cheeks between her pudgy hands, brightening slightly. "I think you should take out a bounty on her head and I'll deal with that ugly, old Sanderson Sister for you."

Missy smiled, blinking up at him a couple of times.

"But how about for now…" he said pretending to snap at Emily's little fingers with his teeth, as she giggled within his grasp. "...we go back to your place and I can show you what's in this big old box?"

He nodded down to the large cardboard box at his feet.

Missy narrowed her eyes at him slightly, but couldn't help but smirk. She wondered how he always had this ability to do this to them. To help them take their mind off their worries, even if it _was_ only for a short time.

"Alright," she uttered, shooting him a look and bending down to pick up his box for him . "Geez this is heavy, what's even in here?"

But Wade merely grinned, as Emily squished her chubby cheek against his, before resting her head in the crook of his neck.

"You'll see…"

* * *

Twenty minutes later and the three of them bustled into Missy's apartment, cold and pink-cheeked.

Emily had cuddled up to Wade's chest as they walked home, but right now was a bundle of energy, so excited by the merc's presence.

He wandered over to Missy's couch and plopped the little girl's down onto it, as she giggled delightedly.

Meanwhile Missy plonked the Wade's cardboard box down onto her dining table, before shrugging off her coat.

Whas in bocs?" said Emily, clambering over the arm of the couch to try and take a peek.

Missy smirked, crossing her arms over her chest before strolling over to Emily and removing the toddler's red coat and booties.

Wade merely flashed them an award-winning smile and patted the box with his large hands.

"This…" he said in a charming voice. "…is me finally keeping my promise to you."

And with that, Wade ripped open the box and plucked out a long string of tinsel, tossing it their way.

Emily gave a shriek of laughter, grasping the silvery strand in her sticky paws.

"Christmas decorations?" said Missy smiling, her eyes roving across the merc before her.

"Yup," replied Wade, holding a large gold Christmas star aloft. "You've just got to sift through the crap to find the true jems, is all…"

He shot her a wink, causing Missy to roll her eyes and take a step forwards, peering into the box.

She pulled out a large bauble, with a pin-up girl holding a Santa hat over her otherwise naked body, and the words "Happy Holiday's from Madame Misty's Burlesque Babes" emblazoned across the top.

She cocked an eyebrow at him.

"Ahhh…now that….is one from my….uh…personal collection…" he said as she tossed it his way, shaking her head and giving a laugh.

Behind them, Emily was happy playing with the tinsel, wrapping it around a chair leg at their feet.

"So," said Wade after a second or two, as Missy took a look through his collection of Christmas lights. "you gonna tell me what happened earlier?"

Missy looked up at him instantly, giving a shrug, sighing lightly.

"I don't know…" she murmured. "The nursery seems to think I should have another go with Emily's hearing aid. They said that she's refusing to listen to them. What did that _witch_ say…that's right, that's she's a _handful_."

Missy shook her head, tucking her hair behind her ear.

"I just don't know…" she uttered, giving another sigh. "I feel like the worst Mom in the world, a-and that woman…what she said about me…about Emily…-"

"You realise that you and Emily are pretty much perfect, right?" said Wade, her face and voice suddenly serious.

Missy looked up at him, chewing on her lip.

"You shouldn't even fucking listen to that bitch…" he said in a low voice, making sure Emily couldn't hear him. "She obviously hasn't got a fucking clue about anything. I'm deadly fucking serious about that bounty y'know, just say the words and I'll fuck her up for free."

Missy gave a sniff, smiling, her eyes meeting with his.

"Thanks…" she said quietly, but her voice was slightly distant.

Missy unfortunately knew what all this meant.

The only reason she had taken this job was because there was day-care in the building, and most importantly, it was free. And if Emily was forced to go elsewhere,, it would mean that Missy would never be able to pay for rent, bills, food and nursery bills on her current salary, which either meant she would have to move back to her Aunt's place down in Florida, or, she would need to find another job, which would likely mean longer hours and more time spent away from her daughter.

Right now Missy was stuck between a rock and a hard place…

She was lost…a horrible feeling of dread in the pit of her stomach.

"Hey," came Wade's soft voice suddenly, breaking Missy from her thoughts.

She suddenly felt his hand reach for hers.

His fingers were warm and he squeezed her digits tightly.

"You realise I'm here right…" he said titling his head, his eyes locked onto hers. "…you don't have to deal with all this on your own."

But Missy couldn't smile… she couldn't speak.

As much was Wade was lovely with his offer. She _was_ alone, and she would _always_ _be_ alone.

No one would want them…not really.

It was always going to be just the two of them.

She tugged her hand from Wade's and stalked into her bedroom, giving a hard gulp, knowing she what she was about to do would break her heart….

Two seconds later she came back into the living room carrying a little plastic box.

Emily, who had looked up at Missy, interested in what her Mom was doing, instantly shook her head.

"Noh, noh, pwease," she said, her face looking immediately frightened and becoming panicked.

Wade looked over at them.

Missy's heart thudded in her chest as she kneeled in front of Emily.

The little girl began to cry, shaking her tiny head…

"Noh, pweeease Mommy…" said Emily, trying to back away, getting herself worked up.

Missy reddened, her eyes brimming with tears as she pulled the hearing aid from the little plastic box in her hand.

"Noh, Mommy I don wanna, pwease..." said Emily giving a small wail, and shaking her head. "…pweeeease don make me! Noh…"

The tiny toddler was practically begging. Pleading with her Mom.

Missy wiped away a tear from her own cheek.

"Baby, you need to just try it again," she said gently.

"Pwease, pwease…I will be gud," said Emily, holding her hands over her tiny ears and giving an almost hysterical cry. "Pwease Mommy…"

Missy gave a sob. She was torturing her own daughter. But this was her only choice right now.

"Pweeease Mommy, noh!" said Emily, crying her eyes out, tears pouring down her red cheeks. She looked up and saw Wade. "Waydee, noh…"

And with that she ran over to Wade, coming to hide behind him and clutching at his legs.

Missy lifted her trembling hands to her face, suddenly breaking down into tears, her whole body suddenly racked with sobs.

What had she done?

She felt like the wicked witch. The evil mother who did that two her own daughter. Who frightened her to the point that she would run away…

Maybe that woman had been right all along…

But it wasn't a second before she felt a warm hand at her back.

Wade's.

And a moment later… two tiny arms wrapped themselves around her neck.

"I'm sowwy Mommy…" said Emily in her ear, still crying, she could hear it in her voice. "I'll be gud, I pwomis I wil."

Missy tore her hands away from her face, pulling Emily into her, cradling her tightly.

"Mommy's sorry," she said shaking her head and pressing a kiss into Emily's soft brown hair. "Mommy's so sorry."

She held onto Emily for what felt like an eternity, the hearing aid now lying abandoned on the floor.

She would never, EVER make this mistake again.

It took them both a minute or two to finally calm, Missy pulling away to look at Emily, wiping her little cheeks with her thumb.

"I'm so sorry baby. I won't ever make you wear that thing again, ok?" she said as Emily mimicked her, wiping the tears from Missy's face too.

The little girl pressed a sloppy kiss to Missy's cheek.

It was only then did Missy realise Wade had been crouched beside them this whole time, his hand on Missy's back.

She looked up at him, so embarrassed and ashamed of herself.

But to her surprise Wade's look wasn't accusing….or judging…but it was soft and full of concern.

She wanted to murmur a sorry to him too….an apology for forcing him to witness that.

But as much as she tried, she just couldn't seem to find the words…

But one thing felt more natural than anything else…

Missy knew who initiated it, but before she knew it, she and Wade had pulled each other into a tight, warm hug.

Both knelt on the floor beside each other, Missy for the first time since she could remember, felt warm…and safe…like she had someone else there with her…like she wasn't alone.

Wade held her tightly in his strong arms, his thumb tracing circles over her spine as Missy buried her face in his shoulder. He smelt like musk, and gunpowder and…..cotton-candy. And it took all her strength not to protest when they finally pulled apart.

She looked up into his chocolate eyes, the whole room falling utterly silent. Even Emily who was watching the pair of them in awe…her little mouth agape…was quiet. Before finally Missy managed to mouth a 'Thank you.'

Wade merely smiled back easily, getting to his feet and reaching out a hand for Missy to take, tugging her up onto her high-heels.

She wiped at her eyes and gave a sniff, picking up the hearing aid and flinging back inside the plastic box.

She would donate it to a kids charity or something, but it didn't belong here, with them.

She smiled down at Emily, placing the hearing-aid on the table out of sight of the little girl.

She really did love her with all her heart.

Emily smiled up at Missy, as though forgetting that this whole thing at ever happened.

The caramel-haired woman gave an sharp inward sigh.

"So…" she asked gently. "…you wanna decorate a little before dinner, sweetie?"

Emily gave a nod plucking up her piece of silver tinsel and holding it aloft, beaming.

* * *

Two hours later and Missy's living room looking akin to something you'd find at Santa's grotto.

Wade had pulled a tatty little plastic tree from the box which Emily and Missy had got to work decorating, while he put up some lights around their window.

Missy had served up some chicken pasta for the three of them, which Wade had charmingly said was the best thing he's ever eaten in his life. Missy had merely rolled her eyes but given a laugh and had politely told him he needed to get out more.

Emily had of course been so excited. Running around the living room, flitting between Wade and Missy happily.

"So," said Missy, as she placed one of the last few baubles onto the tree, before glancing at Wade. "How did you find out where I worked? You stalking me?"

He looked over at her grinning.

"Maybe…" he said waggling his eyebrows at her. "Or I might have just seen your security pass hangover your coat this morning as I was leaving."

Missy smiled, pursing her lips together.

"Y'know you didn't need to rush off this morning," she said after another second or two, biting at her lip and toying with a strand of tinsel already positioned on the tree. "I could have made you breakfast…"

Wade didn't reply, he merely stared at her, her eyes taking in her every feature.

Missy felt herself immediately redden beneath his gaze.

"Sta!" said Emily suddenly at their feet, breaking through their moment, and clutching a large gold star ornament in her sticky paws.

Missy beamed down at her daughter and lifted her up into her arms.

"You wanna put the star on top, baby?" she asked clearly so that Emily could hear her.

The little girl wriggled in her grip and leaned over, placing the star, a little wonkily on the very top.

"Perfect," exclaimed Wade brightly. "Just like you and your Mommy."

Missy shot him a look, shaking her head, but her eyes lingered on his a little too long. And for the slightest of moments she felt her heart start thud in her chest and butterflies appear in her stomach.

"Right then, sweetie-pie," said Missy, finally tearing her gaze away from the merc. "I think it's bedtime, don't you?"

She gave Emily's sides a little tickle.

As Wade grinned over at the pair of them, he chewed on his lip for a moment.

"I should get going," he said rubbing the back of his neck with his hand. "But…um…listen…"

He gave the slightest of gulps, which Missy caught, a bemused frown crossing her face.

"…I'm going to this Christmas party…at my buddy's bar, a couple of blocks from here, on Friday…I know it might be difficult for you to get a sitter this close to Christmas but….if you wanted to come….it would be great to see you there…"

He flashed her a wide smile.

"…we could get wasted on that tequila I sorta promised you…it'll be fun. You can let your hair down and we can compare our slut-drops and do karaoke to a selection of WHAM's greatest hits. I mean there's no karaoke machine, per say, but you'd be surprised how well I know the words to Careless Whisper. . "

Missy smiled at him, giving a chuckle, but her gaze dropped to her feet.

"I'd…uh….love to…." she gulped, her heart plummeting slightly. "…but I don't think I'll be able to, with Emily, y'know…"

She felt so disappointed. Even affording a sitter this close to the holidays would be too much for her already limited bank-balance.

As much as she would have loved to go…

It had been ages since she'd been out…probably before Emily came along, if she was honest… and the idea of spending some time with her neighbour…sounded, well….nice.

Wade nodded.

"Of course," he said, smiling back, but there was a hint of what looked like disappointment in his eyes. "I'll text you the address in case you change your mind. Weasel's parties are always pretty good. At the end of the evening he usually gets so wasted himself, he makes it a free bar. Then the night ends with everyone trashing the place…..ahh, good times."

Wade wiped a faux-tear of fondness from his eye, causing Missy to grin.

Emily who had been watching the pair of them, chewing on a strand of Missy's caramel blonde hair, suddenly reached out a hand for Wade.

Missy laughed.

"You wanna say goodbye to Wade?" she asked the little toddler gently.

Emily smiled and leaned forwards in Missy's arms, pressing a rather wet and squelchy kiss to Wade's stubbly cheek.

Missy beamed, her heart pounding, gazing at the pair of them.

"Wow, now that was amazing," he said cheerily. "Now, you think I can get one from your gorgeous Mom too?"

Emily immediately nodded and looked delightedly at Missy.

"Moomy kish Waydee! Yes, yes!" she said clapping her pudgy little hands together and grabbing for Missy's lips.

Missy wrinkled her nose and gave a laugh, before rolling her eyes.

And before Wade could react, she had pressed a quick kiss to his cheek.

That same scent of cotton-candy hit her for the slightest of moments, before she pulled away.

Wade beamed almost instantly.

"Oh….well that was chimichanga-ing amazing!" he said to Emily who giggled back. "I got a kiss from the most gorgeous baby-momma in NYC. Life-made!"

Missy shook her head and gave yet another eye-roll as Wade grabbed his jacket throwing it on and headed out the door, giving Emily a wave as he did so..

"See you Friday Yummy-Mommy…" he called back finally to Missy, as he pulled the door shut behind him with a snap.

Leaving Missy stood there a bemused expression lingering on her face and the taste of Wade's skin, still lingering on her soft, pink lips…

* * *

 **I really do hope that was ok? I'm not sure if people are enjoying it anymore so that's why I'm being a bit slow at writing….sorry. If anyone is still reading and liking it I'm really glad. I just hope I'm kinda doing ok…**

 **Thanks to starrat, dancindonna, Legolas girl 31, petite-yoyo, jonstar1034, Raging Raven AngiMK, LilyMyDeer and Smaug the Golden for reviewing the last chapter.**

 **Enjoy your weekend.**

 **Please review! :)**


	12. Chapter 12

It was Friday evening and Missy was stood in her bedroom gazing at her reflection in her full length mirror.

She had on the most gorgeous red dress that hugged at her slender figure, her hair was loosely curled and her make-up pretty.

Since the merc's offer on Tuesday evening, of a Christmas party at his buddy's' bar, Missy had so desperately wanted to go. So after much deliberation and fretting, she had moved some funds around in her account and found some spare cash for a sitter. It had been tough to even find one this close to Christmas but $150 later and she was all set to leave at 8pm.

Wade had sent over the address earlier on in the week on the off chance she would change her mind, and just an hour ago, Missy had replied with a **_{See you there at 8.15}_** , and had instantly received a smiley face emoji back within seconds.

Missy fiddled with her hair, the strangest of feelings fluttering inside her stomach. To say that she was excited was an understatement. It had probably been years since she'd been out like this, getting dressed up…but that was all she was excited for, of course it was….not the idea of spending any time with Wade Wilson…no….of course not….

She had found the perfect dress in the back of her closet, which luckily still fitted like a dream, so pairing it with a pair of peep-toe heels and a short leather jacket that currently lay across her bed, she was pretty much ready, just applying one more coat of mascara to the her top lashes.

Emily was sat up on the bed behind her, playing with her mother's hairbrush and staring up at Missy's refection in awe.

Emily had never ever seen her Mom dressed up like this…and by the way her tiny mouth hung open she was enjoying watching Missy get ready, her little green eyes following her every movement.

Missy smiled, turning to look at her little daughter, who was already in her fluffy white onesie pyjamas.

"So are you going to be a good girl tonight for the sitter while Mommy goes out?" she asked gently, coming over and toying with the tiny bow on top of Emily's head.

Emily gave a nod, her eyes travelling over Missy's soft features.

"Mommy luks pwetty," she said after a second or two, her little mouth falling open once again.

Missy beamed, bending down and kissing Emily's forehead.

"Thank you, baby," she said, feeling so much love for the little girl before her.

Missy had managed to convince Emily to give day-care another try and to her relief that sour-faced old witch from the other day, was nowhere to be seen. Missy couldn't exactly say that the little girl was happy to go back, but there definitely hadn't been anymore tears.

Emily titled her little head to the side, putting her hand into her mouth and chewing on her pudgy knuckles. She watched Missy carefully, as she walked back over to the mirror, slipping into her high heels.

"Waydee see yoo tonighh?" asked Emily suddenly.

Missy felt a blush creep up her neck, and she couldn't help but smile, her eyes falling to the floor momentarily.

"Wade might be there, yes," she replied.

Emily wriggled to the edge of the bed, staring up at her Mom in wonder.

"Waydee wil like you," said the toddler, trying to reach out and grab the hem of Missy's dress. "An den he wil be my Daddy."

Missy instantly turned to Emily, blinking twice.

What did she just say?

Missy gave a gulp, her face turning scarlet in colour and her heart beginning to thud inside her chest.

The caramel-haired woman didn't reply but merely leant forward once more, pressing another kiss to the top of Emily's head.

Missy felt those butterflies that she hadn't felt in so so long appearing in her stomach once more.

Tonight would be a good night….she was sure of it.

Tucked inside her handbag, she had a drawing that Emily had done, that Missy had promised she would give to Wade from the little girl. It was yet another drawing of the three of them, but this time their little stick figures were all standing around a green blob that was supposed to be their decorated Christmas tree. Missy had a feeling Wade was going to love it.

Missy chewed on her lip…she was so excited. The prospect of being out… having a drink…and spending some time with other adults…with Wade…

But as she turned back to the mirror, suddenly her phone buzzed across the surface of her nightstand.

Perhaps that was the sitter, thought Missy, reaching for it and answering almost immediately. "Hello?"

"Good evening, is that Melissa?" came the friendly tone of the woman down the line.

"Yes it is," replied Missy, turning back to the mirror and smoothing down her hair.

"Hi Melissa, this is Jane from SitterCity," said the woman. "I'm very sorry but I'm afraid the sitter who we were supposed to send over has called in sick, so we're having to cancel I'm afraid. We've already refunded the one hundred and fifty back into your account."

Missy gave a frown, blinking.

"But…I…" she looked back over to Emily. "Is there no one else you can send…I'm supposed to be going out in fifteen minutes…"

There was a short pause down the line.

"I'm really sorry Melissa…this close to Christmas…we really have no one else free," said the woman, sounding apologetic. "We can offer you ten percent off your next booking with us though."

Missy's heart plummeted into her stomach, her eyes falling to the floor.

That was it…her night out over, before it had even begun.

"No, that's…" she gave a gulp. "…that's fine…thanks…bye."

And with that, she dropped the call, staring down at the phone in her hand….feeling, very much at that moment, like she wanted to cry…

* * *

Wade stood at the bar at _Sister Margaret's School for Wayward Girls_ , a beer in front of him and one eye on the door.

It was 8.45, and every few minutes, Wade would check the time on the small cartoon wristwatch on his arm.

"You waiting for someone?" asked Weasel from behind the bar. The bespectacled, bartender, tonight wearing a rumpled AC-DC tee and flannel shirt, was busy wiping glasses with a dirty rag.

Wade merely sighed, glancing at his phone.

No messages.

"Nah…" he lied, running a hand down his face.

He really _had_ hoped she'd come…. Missy.

For weeks now he'd been looking for a chance to invite her out on a, well, _sort of_ , date…and this Christmas party had been a great excuse.

Weasel's bar was currently decorated with a medley of tacky Christmas decorations and loud, rock-music renditions of Christmas songs were playing loudly over the jukebox.

Ok, perhaps this wouldn't have been Missy's scene, but Wade would definitely have been willing to give all this up and head out for some pizza at a little joint down the street…just the two of them. If that's what she had wanted…

He propped his head up on his elbow, taking along sip of beer before glancing back at the empty doorway once again.

Wade was just about to check his phone once more, when all of a sudden, he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Hey baby…why the long face?"

For the slightest of seconds Wade thought maybe it was Missy, but he turned, to see a short, dark-haired woman, with thigh-high boots and a tiny black dress. Her red, painted lips curved up into a smile as she sauntered around him, coming to stand close to his side.

Wade straightened up slightly, looking her up and down.

"Just got the Christmas blues," uttered the merc, giving a half chuckle.

He had seen this woman around and knew exactly what she was after. She was gorgeous of course, but paying for sex wasn't really high on his agenda tonight.

"He's been stood up," came Weasel's sudden voice from his side. "He's just sulking."

Wade gave a scowl.

"Am not," he swiped back with a faux-pout.

"Are too," said Weasel, pointing at him. "You've been looking at that door every thirty seconds for the past forty-five minutes. Admit it, you've been stood up."

Wade gave a huff, but the dark-haired woman to his right placed a hand to Wade's knee.

"Poor baby," she said in a teasing voice. "But maybe I can help take your mind off it."

Her hand ran up his thigh, as she batted her eyelashes at him.

Wade grinned.

"As tempting as that offer sounds-" said Wade, stopping her hand in its tracks.

"-Vanessa," answered the woman.

"Vanessa," said Wade easily. "I'm gonna have to decline. See I'm sort of crazy about a girl….two girls actually…and I was kinda hoping one of them would be here tonight…"

"Called it," muttered Weasel, slapping his hand down on the bar, listening intently.

Vanessa retracted her hand and raised an arched eyebrow at him, ignoring Weasels' comment. An interested smile remained fixed to her lips. "Maybe she got held up?"

Wade sighed, not looking at either of them, merely staring down at the remnants of his beer.

"Perhaps," he uttered remorsefully.

Or perhaps she just didn't want to have anything to do with him. It was a possibility…

She was way too good for him and he knew it.

Her and Emily were what he dreamed of having. A perfect family like that…

But he was a merc, a lowlife and they both deserved better than him.

But that didn't stop him being upset.

Pulling out his phone he checked the screen to find a message…

…From Missy…

 **{I'm really sorry. Perhaps another time.}**

That was all the message read. No explanation, nothing…

Wade frowned to himself.

"That her?" asked Weasel, staring at Wade's face.

But Wade didn't answer, merely pushing back the barstool and getting to his feet.

Vanessa grinned, shooting Weasel a look.

"That's her," she guessed, as Wade slunk past them heading towards the door.

* * *

 **Are you guys still liking it so far?**

 **Thanks so much to RomansBride, srosal1, Shathar, mstef, starrat, hannahkaho, jeffhardyluvsme, dancindonna, Smaug the Golden, petite yoyo, Legolas Girl 31, jonstar1034, Raging Raven, AngiMK, kaayrakoi and Momochan77 for reviewing the last chapter.**

 **So….what did you think of this one...I know what you're all thinking- Hurry up MissyPool! ...but don't worry...not long now... :)**

 **Please review!**


	13. Chapter 13

Missy was stood in her kitchen, washing the dishes.

She was still wearing her wonderful red dress, not even having the heart to change.

She had put Emily to bed about an hour ago, the little girl questioning why Missy wasn't going out anymore, but the caramel-haired woman had merely kissed her daughter and told her to sleep.

Since then Missy had tried to push thoughts of tonight from her mind. She had housework to do. There was no point in dwelling on it…she was a single mom and she needed to remember that. She wasn't going to be able to go out like other Moms could…she needed to be here to take care of Emily.

But right at this moment, Missy felt so alone. Trapped. Not by her little girl, not at all, but just by circumstances….

She hung her head, giving a quiet sniff as a tear slipped down her cheek and dropped into the soapy water below.

But before Missy could let another tear fall, there came a buzz from her phone on the worktop beside her.

Wiping her hands on a dish-towel, she grabbed the device and peered down at the message that had appeared on the screen.

 ** _{Night kinda sucked. (No-one to help me finish my tequila shots like you promised!) But if you're still up, I have pizza. *pizza emoji*}_**

Missy suddenly grinned as she read the message, her heart thudding inside her chest.

Quickly wiping at her eyes she typed an immediate reply.

 ** _{Emily's asleep, but pizza sounds good}_**

Less than a second after she sent it, there came a soft knock upon the front door.

Missy hurried over into the living room, then through into the hallway, before tugging open her door.

Stood there was, of course, the merc.

Tonight he had on his usual sheep-skin coat and tight, white t-shirt and in his arms, was, as promised, a large greasy pizza box.

He looked like he had already thought of an opening line, opening his mouth to say something, but instantly he faltered as he took in her slender form.

Missy was still completely dressed up, minus the heels and jacket of course, but her hair and make-up still looked perfect, despite her tears.

She felt herself blush under his gaze.

"Wow…" he said longingly. "You look…..fucking amazing."

Missy stared down at the ground, feeling herself flush further.

She stepped aside to allow him to enter, tugging at her bottom lip with her teeth.

She could feel those butterflies again…

He slid past her, but his eyes never left her face, and for the briefest of moments Missy smelt cotton candy on the air …

"I'm really sorry about tonight," she said after a moment or two, both of them standing in the hallway facing one another. "My sitter cancelled…and I couldn't leave Emily so…"

"It's fine," said Wade almost instantly, taking a step towards her. "The party wasn't that great anyway…and besides all I wanted to do was come here, stuff my face with pizza and binge watch TV using your Netflix account."

Missy gave a chuckle, tucking a strand of caramel hair behind her ear.

She moved off into the living room as Wade followed, heading instantly over to her couch and taking a seat.

But before Missy could offer him a drink or even say another word, there came a sudden pitter-patter of feet from the bedroom and Emily appeared in the doorway, rubbing at her little eyes. She was still in her white little onesie, her soft brown hair sticking up in a tuft on top of her head.

"Waydee?" she asked, as her little eyes locked onto him, sitting there on their couch.

She had obviously heard his voice and come out to investigate.

"Baby, what are you doing out of bed," said Missy in a firm tone. "You're supposed to be asleep."

But to her surprise, Emily ignored her, walking straight into _Missy's_ bedroom, out of sight of them both.

Missy gave a frown, looking to Wade before glancing back towards her bedroom.

Why would Emily be going in there?

But her question was suddenly answered, as Emily came out brandishing her drawing, that had been tucked inside Missy's clutch bag.

Missy had obviously just left it on her bed and forgotten, but Emily hadn't.

The tiny toddler marched straight up to Wade, little butt wiggling as she did so, and pushed the piece of paper into his hands.

"Mommy pwetty," she said with a nod, her little face serious. She was obviously trying to get something across to him.

And without so much as another word, she went over to Missy, grasping the hem of her dress in her sticky little paws and pulling her over towards the merc.

Missy instantly laughed, and Wade gave a chuckle as he watched the scene unfold.

Emily came to stand before Wade, placing a pudgy little hand to his knee.

"Waydee kissh Mommy," she said demandingly, looking him directly in the eye, a little scowl forming on her face.

Wade's raised his eyebrows, beaming, as Missy reddened, becoming almost tomato-like in colour.

The little girl patted the paper on his lap, causing Wade to finally look down at it.

Missy watched him for a moment or two, staring down at the image in his hands, drawn by the tiny girl.

"She made it for you," said Missy in a soft voice. "She wanted me to give it to you tonight…"

Wade was silent for a long moment before his chocolate eyes finally met with hers.

And for that second, Wade looked at Missy like she'd never been looked at before. Something in his gaze which she had never come across in her entire life… a look she didn't even recognise…

She broke her eyes from his, after what felt like an eternity, and bent down to pick up Emily.

"Come on baby," she said holding the little girl close. "It's bedtime… _again_."

And with that Missy headed off to the bedroom…. But what she didn't notice was the scowling little look, that Emily gave to Wade over her shoulder.

* * *

Five minutes later and Missy appeared from the little girl's bedroom, giving a sigh.

"Sorry, your pizza is probably freezing cold by now," she muttered smiling.

Wade grinned at her, giving an easy shrug.

"Luckily for you, I prefer cold pizza," he said glancing her way. "Fucking helped me on _many_ a hangover."

Missy chuckled, as Wade's eyes remained on her.

"Sorry I bailed on you," she said suddenly in a quiet voice, her eyes falling to the floor. "I really was looking forward to the party…"

"Well if you can't come to the party, then the party can come to you," Wade uttered almost instantly. He leaned forwards in his seat.

 _"_ _I'm_ the party by the way," he said in a carrying whisper, causing Missy to laugh.

She looked over at him, glancing down at the drawing that still remained on his lap.

"Sorry about Emily," she said lightly, wrinkling her nose. "I think she's just got it into her head that you're kind of a fixture here now….I mean, I know you're not, but…um-"

She stopped, reddening and glancing down at the wooden floorboards, giving a difficult gulp.

Perhaps Emily wasn't the only one who thought of Wade as kind of a fixture….

But before Missy could think on this anymore, she felt a sudden hand upon her chin.

She looked up to see that Wade had gotten to his feet and closed the gap between them…

…his fingers beneath her chin….lifting her gaze to meet with his…

"Well I don't know about you, but after that look I got from Em, I kinda feel like I should do as I was told…" he uttered, giving a small chuckle, his eyes glancing down at her soft lips.

Missy could do nothing but stare back at him, her heart pounding inside her chest.

And before she knew it…Wade Wilson had gently pressed his lips to hers.

Missy pushed herself closer to Wade, as her soft mouth opened to his…

She felt his tongue dance against hers. He tasted of beer, and the sweetest candy she had ever dreamed of….and she couldn't help but relax into his touch, his warmth…letting his hands slip around her waist, holding her close…

It felt like a lifetime had passed by, when in reality, it couldn't have been more than a few seconds.

But eventually, Missy pulled away, breathlessly, taking a step back.

Wade looked at her, his gaze needy and wanting, but Missy's eyes once again slipped down to the floor.

She let out a small, embarrassed smile, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

Missy couldn't do this…

Who was she kidding?

She had too much baggage for Wade…she knew that...

"I should…um…." she began, blinking several times and taking a breath. "…go check on Emily."

And with that she smiled up at him…but inside, she felt utterly disappointed…she couldn't have all this…even if she did want it….want him….she was a Mom and she needed to remember that.

"Sorry…" she finished, her eyes never quite meeting with his.

And with that she headed into the Emily's bedroom, leaving Wade standing in her living room all alone.

A second passed…. then another…

Missy stood in the darkness of the little girl's room, listening to the soft breaths of her sleeping daughter.

Her head and heart felt like they were about to burst…and she felt, at this moment, like she wanted to cry for the second time tonight.

It was only a minute later, she heard the front door open, and then gently close again.

And Missy knew that Wade had gone.

* * *

 **Was that ok? Are you still guys liking Wissy…Wadissy….Missypool? And Emily of course!**

 **Thanks to starrat, dancindonna, Momochan77, Welisarne, Legolas Girl 31, jonstar1034, petite-yoyo, Raging Raven and Smaug the Golden for reviewing the last chapter.**

 **Please do let me know what you thought of their first kiss… what do you think's gonna happen next?**

 **Please review! :)**


	14. Chapter 14

There was a loud crackle of thunder outside their window.

It was Christmas Eve, and in the few days, since their kiss, Missy hadn't seen or heard from Wade.

She felt terrible…but knew that she had had no other choice…

Wade didn't want her…or Emily…and sooner or later he would realise that….and they would be alone again….just like they always were.

As much as it broke her heart to even think that…she knew it was true.

"It's ok sweetie," said Missy gently, strutting over to her daughter on her high heels, coming to stroke the top of her little head.

It had been raining for two days now, a thunderstorm building. And tonight heavy raindrops had lashed against the windows, and thunder and lightning had tolled for the past few hours.

Emily, who hated loud noises, was currently sat on their couch in her fluffy white jammies, cowering behind a cushion.

Missy pressed a gentle kiss to the top of her head.

"Shhhhh, baby," she uttered as Emily let out a frightened whimper.

"Wil Santy Claws be able to get fru da stowm?" said the little girl in a quiet voice, looking up at Missy, her wide, green eyes, petrified.

"Of course he will," smiled Missy comfortingly. "Hey, how about we watch a Christmas movie, yeah?"

She wanted to do anything to take the toddler's mind off the noise outside.

Emily gave a nod, and Missy flicked through the TV channels, quickly finally finding a Disney movie for the two of them to watch together.

It was late and way past Em's bedtime, but Missy knew that the toddler would never be able to sleep through all this, not right now at least.

Missy took a seat on the couch and Emily immediately scooted over to her Mom, clambering up onto her lap.

But the pair had barely got through two minutes of the cheesy movie when all over a sudden the lights above their head began to flicker.

Emily gave a tiny cry.

"Shhhh, it's ok…" said Missy gently.

But she had spoken to soon, as the pair of them were suddenly plunged into darkness, the TV flickering off too.

Missy made to get to her feet to try and grab for her phone but before she could do so, the power came back on and the a pair of them jumped as the loud chorus of a song came blaring across the TV screen.

Missy placed a hand to her heart before turning down the volume slightly.

"It wen dark, Mommy," said Emily, looking up at her mother a little concerned.

But Missy forced a smile.

"Yeah but it didn't last long, did it, baby?" said Missy, giving Emily a cuddle.

She felt so sorry for the little girl, Christmas was supposed to be a time for warmth and family, but here she was frightened and nervy.

Once upon a time Missy had imagined that their Christmases would be full of light, and magic, and laughter….their big suburban house full of people…lovely smells wafting in from the kitchen…drinking eggnog by the fire…but life just didn't work that way….not for them at least…

There was another loud clap of thunder, causing Emily to suddenly let out a scream, bursting into tears and hiding her face in Missy's blouse.

It was just then that the power went off again, the whole room pitch black for a second or two, before the lights finally flickered back on.

Emily wailed into Missy's shirt, terrified of the noise.

"It's ok, it's ok," said Missy pulling Emily into her, cradling her tiny warm body like she used to do when she was a baby. "Mommy's here."

She rubbed comforting circles on the toddler's back, just as there suddenly came a loud knock on the front door, causing them both to jump in fright.

Missy glanced over into the hallway, biting her lip worriedly.

It was 8pm on Christmas eve, who was calling around at this hour?

She eased the sobbing girl gently off her and got to her feet, heading over towards the door.

But her question was, of course, answered, as she tugged open the door to find Wade Wilson standing on the other side.

There he was, in a black t-shirt emblazoned with two large cartoon thumbs and the words 'This girl loves Christmas', jeans and a black hooded sweater, but across his face was a look of deep concern.

"Hey…I…uh….." murmured Wade slowly, as if distracted by her for the slightest of moments. He seemed to shake himself. "….I just wanted to check you guys were ok…with the power going out and everything…."

Missy's heart pounded in her chest. Had he really just come over to see if they were ok?

She remembered the last time she had laid eyes on him, just after they had broken from their kiss…how she had felt….how she never wanted it to end…

She gave the smallest of gulps…

But before Missy could answer him, tell him that they were fine, a tiny figure waddled past her on chubby legs, little butt wriggling as she did so.

"Waydee," came Emily's voice with a tiny sniffle, running towards him. "I scawed!"

The merc, without being asked, swept the little girl instantly up into his arms, cuddling her close.

He wiped at her red and wet cheek with his thumb.

"Awww, Em-bear, you're not scared are you? Not of a little thunder and lightning?" he asked, giving her a gentle smile, the corners of his eyes wrinkling as he did so. But at that second, an ear-shattering clap of thunder rumbled from above, causing Wade to look skyward. "On second thoughts , yeah maybe it does kinda give you the heebie-jeebies…"

Missy looked at him giving a half smile, as Emily raised her little head looking Wade direct in the eye.

"Waydee, shtay tonighh?" she said, her chubby little fingers toying with the drawstring on his hoodie.

Wade glanced at Missy for a second, his eyes a little uncertain.

"I…uh…" he began, obviously not wanting for Missy to feel uncomfortable.

But Missy took a steadying breath.

"You should come in for some homemade cookies," she uttered quickly, as Wade stopped, blinking at her.

Missy and Emily had made a tiny batch of cholate chip cookies earlier. Ok, admittedly about eighty percent of them had burned, but they could just eat the good ones.

"Cukies," nodded Emily, pressing a sloppy kiss to Wade's stubbly cheek. She had all but forgotten her tears, Wade distracting her just enough.

He instantly beamed.

"Cookies sound…great," he said cheerily, looking first at Emily then back over towards Missy who was smiling and watching the pair of them, with so much love in her heart.

He really was amazing with her and Missy had never known the little girl to take to anyone so quickly. She adored him.

The caramel-haired woman hurriedly lowered her eyes and headed back into her apartment as Wade followed, Emily happy in his arms.

The three of them were silent for a moment, the only sound that could be heard was Emily squishing Wade's cheeks in her tiny paws.

Missy wandered into the kitchen just as the lights above flickered once more.

"So we've got cookies, milk….or some juice," said Missy a little embarrassed, wishing she had some more adult drinks in the house. This is what being a Mom did to you….

"Milk and cookies…now you're talking my language," said Wade grinning and following her as Emily grabbed at his ears, no longer paying any attention to the light flickering above her head. "But aren't you supposed to saving them for Santa?…I heard he's a big fan."

"Naw…" said Emily shaking her head and giving a giggle as Wade tickled her tiny sides. "…Waydee hav cukie, not Santy. Waydee, shtay tonighh."

Missy reddened, busying herself with pouring out an ice cold glass of milk for the three of them and placing some of the better-looking cookies on a plate. For that moment she couldn't turn around and face him, her heart beginning to pound within her ribcage, hard and fast.

She knew how she felt…and all of this…it was hurting her so so much…

"Come on you two," she said after a short inward sigh. She flashed them a forced smile. "Milk and cookies and we can finish watching the Muppet's Christmas Carol before you go to bed."

Wade cocked a cheeky eyebrow at her.

"You gonna tuck _me_ in as well, Mama-Bear?" he said, flashing her a slightly devious, yet award-winning smile.

Missy shot him a smirk, rolling her eyes in his direction, but ignored his comment, merely strutting past him, feeling his gaze on her the entire time.

* * *

Fifteen minutes later and the movie was over, but all three of them were grinning and laughing, the milk and cookies half drunk and devoured.

Wade was sat on one side of the couch, as Emily wrestled with him, trying to climb up onto his shoulder, her little butt in the air.

Missy was laughing warmly, staring at the pair, as Wade would grab the excited Emily around the middle and drag her back down to his lap as she protested, giggling as she did so.

This was more skin to the Christmases Missy had dreamed of having….ones filled with happiness and warmth….and food and laughter…..

She blushed as Wade caught her eye.

He really had made their lives just that little bit better hadn't he?

Missy could help the butterflies that danced around inside her stomach at that moment.

Suddenly Emily let out an enormous yawn.

"Oh, well its looks like someone needs to go to bed?" said Wade, giving her tummy a little squeeze as she burst into fits of giggles.

"Naw," she protested, trying to squirm from his grasp, slipping from the couch and running to Missy who was sat, slender legs crossed, on the armchair beside them.

Missy picked the little girl up, smiling.

"I think Wade is right," she said tickling the tiny toddler herself. "I think someone needs to go to bed, because Santa won't visit if you're awake, y'know."

Emily, put her finger into her mouth, staring up at Missy, before giving a nod.

"Okway…"

"Ok then…" said Missy happily, getting to her feet and taking Emily with her. "Let's go pick a story. But you wanna say goodnight to Wade first, wish him a happy Christmas?"

Missy paused beside the merc, smiling down at him.

Emily instantly made grabby hands for Wade and Missy leant down, so that the little girl could press yet another sloppy kiss to his cheek.

"Nigh, Waydee. Mewwy Cwismash…I wuv you," said Emily all of sudden in the most precious voice imaginable.

Missy almost saw Wade's heart melt right then and there.

He paused looking at the brown haired little girl or a long moment, before running his thumb down her chubby pink cheek.

"Night, Em-Bear," he said in just the softest voice, as Missy pulled Emily upright once more and walked her into the bedroom.

She bit at her lip.

All this….Wade….she knew how she felt about him..

Plopping the little girl gently down onto her tiny bed covered in unicorns, she tucked her in, before coming to sit down beside her, her back propped up against the wall.

"Shall Mommy read The Night before Christmas?" she asked stroking the little girls hair.

But Emily stared up at Missy, her little mouth agape, and the tiniest of concerned looks across her features.

"Wil Waydee be here in tha mornin?" she asked out of the blue, in a quiet little voice.

Missy tilted her head at her daughter, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.

She wasn't sure about that question.

…..she wanted him to be…

Missy gave a small sigh, to herself, before flipping open the pages of the book and beginning to read. She would ignore that question. For now at least…

"T'was the night before Christmas-"

* * *

It only took five minutes for Emily to drift off into a comfortable sleep, dreaming of sugarplums and candy canes…

Missy tucked her long caramel hair behind her ear and pressed one last gentle kiss to her sleeping daughter.

She really did love her, with all her heart.

Missy took one more look at her, before heading out of Emily's room and tugging the door closed behind her with a quiet snap.

Getting some of her daughters gifts from Santa out of the hallway closet, Missy placed them neatly under the tree before heading back into the living room.

Here she saw that Wade was now standing at her bookshelf, staring at a small framed photograph.

"Hey," she said in a voice barely louder than a whisper, as Wade instantly turned to face her.

The hint of a smile lingering on his face.

"Geez, I think she's fucking tiny now," he said pointing back at the picture. "I can't even imagine how small she was back then."

The picture in question was a photograph of Missy and Emily taken back when Emily was just a few days old. Missy was cradling her sleeping daughter in her arms lovingly.

But there were _other_ memories that came with that photograph….memories of happy days….days before it was just the two of them, alone in this world…

"Yeah, she was a gorgeous baby," said Missy chewing on her bottom lip.

Wade shot her a smile, taking a step towards her.

"Yeah, well…she takes after her Mom…"

For once there was no hint of cheekiness or flirting in his tone…

And there was something almost sad within his gaze…

Missy's heart hammered inside her chest and those butterflies reared their heads once again…

Her breathing almost instantly became shallow in her throat as she stared at him, her green eyes locked with his chocolate ones.

She knew just how much he cared for her…she could see it in his eyes… and Missy knew how much her stomach did backflips every time she saw him…how her heart seemed to race when Emily mentioned his name…how last Friday, getting dressed up like that…it had all been for him…

"Wade-" she started, just as Wade spoke over her.

"Missy-"

Both of them paused for a second, before Wade took one more step closer to her, their eyes never leaving one another's.

Wade, right at this moment, was barely an inch or two away from her.

His eyes seemed to search her face, as if trying to see into her very soul.

Missy let out a shuddering breath, as Wade titled his head, his face lingering near to hers.

"…You realise I'm crazy about you, right?" he said all of a sudden, shaking his head, his tone earnest and his eyes wide. "Both of you."

Missy stopped.

In fact, the whole world stopped.

As if it was just the two of them…forever….

And before Missy could utter a word….Wade had kissed her…

…and she had kissed him back.

She truly wanted this…more than she could say.

Heat rising in the two of them, as their lips moved against the other's hungrily.

Missy pressed her body into him, her hands coming up to rest upon his chest, as _his_ snaked around her waist.

She wanted him…a warmth growing inside her…

She slipped the hooded-sweater from his shoulders, before grasping his t-shirt and pulling him towards her.

She knew her apartment by heart and knew what room was directly behind her.

Right now she needed him.

Missy tugged her lips from him momentarily, her eyes dark and her gaze needy.

But he merely stared back at her longingly, his lips making for hers once more.

Missy didn't resist him…

Allowing him to capture her mouth again.

She backed up, undoing her silk blouse button by button….and catching, as his mouth parted from hers and he watched her remove her shirt excruciatingly slowly.

He gave a growl of approval, his eyes dark and wanting, and, in a flash, Wade had grasped Missy's thighs and lifted her.

Her legs wrapped themselves around his waist as he carried her to the bedroom, her mouth still on hers possessively.

He tasted like candy apples and chocolate chip cookies…and right then Missy couldn't help herself.

As they reached her darkened room, he dropped Missy down onto the mattress, hovering above her slightly as he pulled his shirt over his head.

His body beneath, was firm, hard, broad….and she traced a line down his chest with her fingernails, as he leaned over her, his lips brushing hers…

A rumble of thunder clattered above their heads and rain lashed at the windows but right then neither of them seemed to care, both to wrapped up in one another.

Wade wanted her and she wanted Wade and they were going to take in every inch of the other…

Wade pressed gentle kisses to her jawline, neck and collarbone as she pushed the pencil skirt from her slender hips.

All she had on now was a matching set of black lacy underwear. She caught Wade glance down at her body, giving another small growl of approval, as _her_ fingers fumbled with his belt buckle.

Another streak of lightening forked through the sky, mere miles above their heads but neither of them were paying any attention to that.

Cool tongues soothing hot skin…hands and fingers entwined….bodies arched and aching for the others' touch…

Right now…..there was nothing else in the world on their minds but each other…

* * *

 **Thanks to Legolas Girl 31, dancindonna, petite-yoyo, Momochan77, jonstar1034 and AngiMK for reviewing.**

 **Well….what did you think? *hides face***

 **Please review!**


	15. Chapter 15

Missy blinked open her eyes.

It was morning. Christmas morning. The storm had died down, leaving only a cold sunshine that trickled in through her half-open drapes.

It took her a second or two to realise where she was and why she was naked, tangled between white sheets, pressed against another warm body…

Her mascara-smudged eyes flickered upwards, coming to look upon the face of the person dozing softly beside her, strong arms wrapped around her shoulder and waist, holding her close to him.

Wade Wilson.

Here he was, lying still, the only movement from him was his chest slowly rising and falling beneath her.

It was then that Missy remembered last night…

It had been a whirlwind…

…bliss…

Wade's hands travelling over her every curve, his fingers tracing her skin. His lips had kissed what felt like every inch of her body…

Missy had wanted him as much as he had wanted her…

Time had slipped from their grasp, as she had arched her back, his hands on her thighs…her waist…

Bodies pressed against each other…growling and moaning into the others' ear.

Wade had been more than she could ever have wished for….giving her everything she had wanted and more…he had murmured words into her ear leaving her breathless and undone…

His fingers had danced patterns across her, his tongue tasting her, his hips grinding into hers…

She had pushed him down…rolling him onto his back…as he had stared up at her with darkened eyes full of lust and want and need…

He had kissed her hard, bringing his body up to hers as she moved against him…slowly at first then more yearning, as the seconds, no, the minutes, ticked by…

The growl of the thunderstorm raged overhead, but Missy had only been able to think of him, and of the stars that appeared in front of her eyes as he brought her to completeness.

Her hands had gripped his face…the back of his neck…her eyes locked with his…her whole body trembling….her breath hitching in her throat.

He had then given a groan, which had caused them both to topple over the edge.

They had collapsed onto the rumpled sheets, breathing hard, eyes fluttering closed…

They were both tired…exhausted, even…and Missy had done nothing to protest as Wade had pulled her close, her arms tangling around her gently.

And that had been all she could remember.

Missy gave another blink, staring at up at Wade's sleeping form. She had half expected him not to be there when she had woken…but here he was…

But as if feeling her awake presence staring up at him, Wade made a small noise and his eyelids opened.

Missy instantly blushed, but her gaze remained fixed with his.

It too, took a second for Wade to realise where he was…

Her heart pounded… Missy was nervous.

What if he regretted this…? What if he regretted everything? All this, maybe it would be too much for him. Too much pressure. Why would he want her? …Want them?

But to her relief, Wade gave a grin and let out a long contented sigh.

"Morning, Mama-Bear," he said shifting under her weight slightly. Beneath the sheets his hand found hers, and he gently entwined their fingers together.

Missy lay back, resting her head against a pillow, as Wade turned his body to face her.

His broad chest was still visible…taut and muscly…

Missy remembered how his shoulders had felt beneath her grasp. She gave a gulp.

"Hey…" she murmured, flicking a loose strand of hair from her eyes.

Her heart still beat fast in her chest, even now.

There was so much she wanted to say to him right now, but for some reason couldn't find the words.

She saw his eyes flicker down to her lips momentarily.

Her breath caught in her throat once again as he leaned in towards her…

"Mewwy Cwishtmash," came a sudden quiet voice from across the room, breaking them from their intentions, as well as the sound of the door creaking open and the pitter-patter of tiny feet.

Missy shook herself, her eyes widening slightly as she felt the sheets slip slightly, as a tiny body heaved themselves up onto the bed, as she did most mornings.

It was Missy and Emily's favourite thing to spend their weekends cuddled up under the covers, with Emily babbling to her hearts content, while Missy just smiled and took in how wonderful her daughter was.

Missy, pulling the sheet around her naked chest, sat up a little, as Wade did the same.

Emily had just about made it up and onto the bed, still in her fluffy white onesie, furry grey rabbit clutched in her sticky paw.

But it was then that she finally looked up and saw a figure in bed with her Mom…a figure who was _definitely_ not usually there.

The smallest of frowns appeared across Emily's little face as she stopped in her tracks and looked up at Wade, confused.

Missy gave a blink, opening her mouth.

"Hey baby," said Missy in a kindly voice, trying to capture Emily's attention, titling her head to the side.

But Emily continued to just stare at Wade. The man she knew very well, but not here…not in her Mom's bed. He was usually in the living room, on their couch…or in their kitchen making them hot chocolate…but not here…

Missy looked on worriedly, glancing from Emily to Wade and back.

"Sweetie…" she tried gently.

It was then that, to her delight, Emily's face broke into a shy little smile.

"Waydee," she said, putting a finger into her mouth and giving a giggle.

The toddler _then_ looked back at Missy, and gave _another_ giggle.

Missy gave an inward sigh of relief, as Emily crawled up the bed towards Wade , climbed up onto his bare chest and poking his cheek with her sticky paw, her bunny still clutched in the other hand.

She giggled again, as Wade grinned back, staring at the tiny girl before him, in awe.

Missy bit her lip and couldn't help but smile too.

"You want cuddles, sweetie?" Missy asked reaching over and stroking Emily's cheek gently, as the little girl looked at her.

She gave a tiny nod.

"Wan' cwuddles," said the toddler in quiet, broken English. "Wif Waydee too pleash."

Missy gave a laugh of surprise, as Emily turned back to a, now beaming, Wade.

The merc looked completely happy, as if _for him_ , this here and now, was perfection.

Not even saying a word, he grabbed Emily around the middle, causing her to squeal in delight. The little girl cuddled herself closer to his bare chest, giving another giggle.

Missy saw him look over at her for a second, before Emily pushed herself from his grasp, beginning to wriggle.

"You want a cuddle from your Mommy?" he asked the toddler, who dropped her bunny and gave a nod, her fingers going back into her mouth shyly as he spoke to her.

With that, Wade lifted her out away from him, before mock-tossing her over to her Mom, as gently as possible.

Emily gave another loud squeal of delight, landing in Missy's lap with a soft 'whump'.

"Hey baby," repeated Missy giving her a smile as Emily's sticky hands reached up for Missy's loose caramel hair.

"Hai Mommy," said Emily giving another giggle and looking between Missy and Wade and back again. She bounced up and down on Missy's lap looking ecstatic. Before giving yet another squeal of happiness and moving up the bed, squeezing in-between the pair.

"Mewwy Cwishtmash!" repeated the tiny girl, wriggling down beneath the covers. "Mewwy cwishtmash, Mewwy cwishtmash ."

Missy laughed as Emily suddenly launched herself at her, wanting to play.

Emily was rarely ever like this, and never was this excitable and happy when other people were around.

Missy looked on as Wade grasped Emily from behind lifting her upside down.

The little girl gave a cry of laughter, which Missy had barely heard in the two years of Emily's life, as Wade tickled her sides.

The pair of them play-fought for a few moments as Missy watched them.

This is just what she had always dreamed of…spending mornings cuddled up in bed with the sound of happiness and laughter ringing out…

She looked up at Wade, as he pressed raspberries to Emily's little cheeks, causing her to shriek with laughter, and wriggle away from him before yelling ''gain, 'gian, Waydee!'.

She truly felt happier than she had in a long time…

But a horrible feeling bubbled up inside her…this wouldn't last….

What if she did this…her and Wade…and he became a part of their lives, just like-

Missy gave a gulp, hurting….

Was there even a point in bringing Wade into Emily's life if he was just going to leave…like everyone always did…

She gave a blink…

What if she got tangled up in a relationship only to see herself hurt…and more importantly, Emily hurt…

She couldn't do that….not again….

But perhaps Wade was different?

She wanted to believe that, she really did, more than she could say….but horrible memories of the past, reared their ugly head once more.

She had tried for the past year and a half to move on, to forget all the pain and the loneliness and the hurting…

Missy bit her lip, and let out a long steadying breath, but she could feel herself shaking…frightened…scared…

She hadn't let anyone into her life….. _their_ life, like this in a very long time….and all this. It was too much for her…

Suddenly Missy got out of bed and onto her feet, grabbing her robe and slipping it over her bare shoulders.

She turned back to the pair as Wade stopped his play-fighting with Emily and looked up at her…

But seeing the look of worry and concern etched onto her features, his warm smile faltered slightly.

"Everything alright?" he asked, as Emily sat up on her little legs, pushing her fluffy bunny into his hands.

But Missy's eyes fell immediately to the floor.

"I…uh…. I probably think you should….you should go…" she said, her voice braking slightly as she said the words.

What was she doing? She was pushing away this amazing guy all because she was scared?

But Missy stood firm. She was doing this because this was just how the world worked…she had been hurt once before…they both had. And she couldn't help but just be terrified of what would happen if she fell for Wade anymore….but perhaps it was already too late….

Wade gave a frown, gently setting the bunny down beside him, and staring up at Missy.

"Have I….." he paused, his eyes searching her face. "….if I've done something-"

But Missy could feel her lip trembling.

"No….I just…." she began, but the words were braking her heart in two.

Missy kept her eyes low, hearing Wade reach for his jeans, tugging them on and get to his feet.

From the bed, Emily stared over them both with wide eyes, sensing the tension in the room.

"…I just…" Missy continued, finally raising her eyes just enough to look at him. But as his cholate eyes met hers, she felt a tear slip down her cheek. She clutched at her robe-tie, knowing what she was about to do would break her heart. "…I can't do this….I'm sorry….I think you should go."

Wade's face was instantly once of confusion. He merely stared at her sadly, giving the slightest shake of his head, his eyes searching her distressed features. But he didn't question her. Not even once.

Emily gabbled at the pair of them from the bed, but Missy merely pursed her lips, wiping at her wet eyes and moved back over to the bed.

Behind her, Wade merely stood there for a second or two, before grasping up his shirt and boots from the bedroom floor.

"Waydee?" asked Emily suddenly, her little mouth falling open as she watched him go, as if confused as to why he had been playing with her a minute ago and yet leaving the next.

Missy felt more tears slip down her cheeks, but she was turned away from Wade, unable to look at him. Her heart ripping in two…

All this was killing her…pushing Wade out of her life before he got too close to them….she should have done it sooner, before it had gotten this far.

But how she felt about him…how he made her feel…..she really did lo-

Missy winced at her own thoughts.

This wasn't the way it was all supposed to be…

"Mewwy cwishmash?" said Emily suddenly, looking up at Wade and crawling down the bed towards him.

Missy heard Wade pause, before leaning over and kissing the top of Emily's little head.

"Merry Christmas, Em-Bear," he uttered, his voice very quiet, and the opposite of his usual confident tone. He paused slightly, standing mere inches away from Missy..

Part of her wished he would reach out…tell her she was being an idiot…argue with her about it….but he didn't. He didn't say anything.

And with that, Missy heard him leave, heading out of the bedroom….and only a few seconds later she heard the front door open and close….

Wade was gone.

Missy clutched at her mouth, giving a uncontrollable sob.

What had she done?

Out of the corner of her eye she felt Emily look over at her, and within a moment Missy suddenly felt two little arms wrap themselves around her neck.

There were no need for words where Emily and Missy were involved, and Missy merely pulled her beautiful little daughter towards her, holding her close as she gave another quiet sob.

All this….it was for her…

…for Emily…

...because who could protect her, if it wasn't her Mom?

Missy buried her face in her daughters hair…

This was her only choice.

It could only be the two of them.

No one would want them….not really. And Missy needed to see that.

She would always be alone, she needed to face up to the fact one and for all.

….but that still didn't stop her heart from tearing into pieces…

* * *

 **Sorry, that was a sad one…. :(**

 **Thanks so much to all who reviewed the last chapter, seems like you all enjoyed Missy and Wade getting it on ;) . Thanks to: Just2aw3s0me, jeffhardyluvsme, mstef, Sesflynn, Momochan77, Legolas Girl 31, dancindonna, RomansBride, Mia, jonstar1034, petiteyoyo, Raging Raven, Nipps04, Smaug the Golden and Dancindonna (again :) )**

 **Please let me know what you thought about this one… Don't hate me! *hides face***

 **Please review!**


	16. Chapter 16

The weeks slipped by, and soon, the holidays were over.

Christmas and New Year for Missy and Emily had been a quiet one. Just the two of them, alone in the apartment with just the TV for company.

Missy had tried to make their time off as nice as possible, they had gone for short walks and watched movies and painted together. But every now and again, Emily would look over at Missy with wide eyes, and ask "wher' Waydee?"

To which Missy could give no answer.

Neither of them had seen nor heard from Wade since Christmas morning.

Not that Missy could blame him from keeping a distance from them. The way Missy had thrown him out…..to say she regretted it, would be an understatement….she knew _just_ how she felt about him…but asking him to leave….well, it had to have been the right thing to do. How could she trust anyone else? Eventually Wade would leave, just like the rest of them…They always did…

But that didn't stop it hurting.

It was cold January evening, and despite it only being 4pm, the sky was already dark, and a bitter chill cut through the air.

Emily and Missy were walking home from work and day-care, wrapped up in coats, scarves and mittens, hand-in-hand.

Missy wanted to get Emily in as soon as possible, for it was _far_ too cold out here, for _both_ of them, in fact.

But there had been a store robbery on the street that they normally walked home, meaning that the police had cordoned off the entire area. So, the pair of them were forced to take a detour down a small side alley instead. Missy wasn't really very familiar with this part of town, but knew that they were headed in _kind of_ the right direction for home.

It was quiet here.

The alleyway was gloomy and full of shadows and Missy clutched Emily's hand tightly as they walked.

They could barely see anything, but their own cold breath in front of them.

Emily only had tiny legs, so walking fast wasn't really an option. But Missy wanted to get out of here as soon as possible. This place gave her the creeps…

Suddenly, as if from nowhere, a trashcan tipped in front of them, causing them both to jump backwards in fright.

A black cat streaked out ahead of them, giving a loud meow.

Emily let out a terrified wail, clutching her tiny paws to Missy's coat, trembling with fear.

"I-It's ok, baby….i-it was just a cat," uttered Missy, stroking the top of Emily's head with her gloved hand.

But Missy was, herself, thoroughly freaked out.

They hurriedly side-stepped the spilt garbage that now littered the asphalt, Emily still crying.

But they had barely gone a few paces when there was a sudden sound of movement behind them…

…Footsteps…

Missy's face paled, but she could do nothing but give a gulp and tug her trembling daughter quickly down the alley.

Nearby, they could hear a bassy music coming from what she presumed was some sort of bar. This definitely wasn't where they wanted to be. Not out in the dark and the gloom like this.

"Mommy," murmured Emily giving a small sob. "I scawed…"

Missy reached down to comfort the weeping toddler, but didn't say anything. Not wanting to admit it to her two-year old daughter that she was scared too.

This did NOT look like a good neighbourhood. And Missy knew they needed to get out of here…. and fast.

Behind them, the heavy footfalls seemed to draw ever closer….

Missy's heart thudded in her chest.

Up ahead, she could just make out the warm orange glow of a streetlamp…if they could just reach that-

But before either of them could walk another step, a hand had grasped Missy's shoulder tightly.

She gave a yelp, flinching away immediately, her eyes widening, as Emily gave a cry of fright, pushing herself closer to her mother.

But as Missy spun around on the spot, she looked up…

….only to see the face of Wale Wilson staring back at her.

"W-Wade?" questioned Missy, giving a sudden blink.

The merc was stood there, hands shoved into the pockets of his sheepskin jacket, his face as rugged and as handsome as ever.

It was such a relief to see him, that Missy felt her shoulders un-tense, and she let out a long steadying breath.

Wade's face broke into warm smile. "Hey….I thought it was you two. Kinda recognised the legs…"

He grinned pointing down towards Emily's navy leggings, that were covered in bright yellow giraffes.

The teeny toddler looked up at him from behind Missy's coat for the first time, her mouth suddenly dropping open.

"Hiya, Em-bear…" he said gently, crouching down, coming face-to-face with the little girl.

It was less than second later, that Emily almost threw herself into Wade's arms.

"Waydee!" she said, forgetting about her tears. "I was scawed…then I wasn'."

Wade gave a chuckle, hugging her close and rubbing little circles on her back.

"Scared?!" he asked, giving a faux-gasp. "Well Waydey's here now…don't you worry about that."

Missy stared down at the pair of them, her face immediately reddening.

This was the first time she had seen the merc in weeks….and the last time…what they had done the night before…bodies tangled in sheets…

She gave a gulp, as Emily wriggled away from him giggling, and Wade got to his feet.

He looked up at Missy, his chocolate eyes meeting hers, and his calloused hand reaching for her arm.

"You alright?" he asked, his voice full of concern, reading the worried look that lingered over her features. He gave her forearm a gentle squeeze.

But Missy gave a nod, her cheeks pink, her gaze slipping from his.

Part of her wanted to scream at him, to tell him how much she missed him….but she merely gave another gulp…mouthing at the air…trying to find the words.

"Mommy, I need to go potty," came a sudden voice from down at Missy's feet, cutting through the silence.

Emily tugged at Missy's coat, staring up at her with wide eyes.

They weren't far from home, but Missy knew that when Emily had to go, she had to go.

She bit her lip looking up and down the gloomy side-street. Perhaps there was a café nearby they could call into… but judging by this neighbourhood, that was unlikely…

"Can you hold it, sweetie?" asked Missy, wincing slightly, knowing what the answer would be.

As predicted, Emily gave her head the tiniest of shakes.

"Uhhh, if you want, I know a place you could use…" said Wade suddenly, looking at Missy, his dark eyes honest. His hand was still on her arm.

He gestured toward a small red door, just a little way further down the alleyway.

"A buddy of mine…..owns that bar over there…Sister Margaret's School for Wayward Girls," he continued. "That's where I was on my way to actually, when I bumped into you guys."

Missy recognised the name. It was the bar he had asked her to come with him to, just a few weeks ago.

She glanced down at Emily.

"I don't know…" uttered Missy a little apprehensively.

It definitely wasn't right to take a minor into a bar, especially one as young as Emily!

But Wade grinned.

"Nah…it'll be fine," he said finally letting go of Missy's forearm, and nodding over towards the red door.

But Missy stood firm, biting her lip.

"I'm really not sure this is a good idea…won't we get into trouble…a-and the owner too? She's only two….I'm pretty sure there's laws against it…"

But Wade gave a chuckle.

"Believe me," he said smiling over at them both. "If you knew half the stuff that went on in that place, letting in a kid is the least of Weasel's worries."

Missy stared worriedly down at her daughter, who was currently doing a little jig on the spot.

"Mommy, I need potty," said Emily once again, giving a small noise of worry.

Right now…what choice did Missy have?

Taking one last look back down the street, she turned to Wade, giving a slow nod.

"Alright….but just in and out…" she said firmly.

Wade smiled back at her warmly.

"In and out," he replied, giving a small, mock-bow, before leading the way over towards the crimson door.

Pushing it open, he stood back and allowed them to enter.

"After you, my gorgeous Mademoiselles."

Missy glanced up at him momentarily, her lips twitching up into a ghost of a smile before she could stop herself, before ushering Emily swiftly inside. In from the cold and dark night...

* * *

 **Hope this chapter was ok? Next one coming soon….**

 **Thanks to dancindonna, Momochan77, Legolas Girl 31, Imaginationcreationeer, jonstar1034, Lilly, AngiMK, starrat, Raging Raven, Nipps04 and Smaug the Golden for reviewing the last chapter. I'm so glad to hear you're all big Wade/Missy fans! Eek!**

 **Did you like this chapter? Weasel's bar coming soon….**

 **Please review! :)**


	17. Chapter 17

The bar was a little dingy and very, VERY rough around the edges and Missy had to carefully pull her high-heeled feet from the sticky floor with every step she took.

Missy, who was clutching the wriggling Emily's hand tightly in her own, stared about a little nervously.

This wasn't like any bar she had ever frequented. It was dark and currently littered with a few unsavoury –looking characters dotted here and there, most of which Missy knew she would probably cross the street to avoid.

Along the far wall stood an old and tired looking bar, lined with dusty bottles of liquor and streak-stained glasses. This really wasn't somewhere she should be bringing a two-year old.

"Bathroom is just over here," uttered Wade, close behind her, pointing to a door over to their right, emblazoned with a large pink W.

Missy glanced back at the merc over her shoulder, giving him a lingering look, before nodding.

And with that she tugged Emily over toward the door.

* * *

Ten minutes later, the pair emerged hand in hand once more.

Emily had luckily made it into the grotty bathroom stall just in time, which was a relief for both of them.

Missy had then lifted Emily up to the washbasin where the pair of them had run their hands under the faucet, the caramel-haired woman praying that Emily didn't try reading any of the filthy graffiti lining the wall just to their right.

Walking out of the bathroom a little cautiously, Missy glanced around, looking for Wade, and was barely surprised to see him leaning against the bar, talking to a bespectacled man in a Black Sabbath t-shirt who was stood on the other side.

Wade instantly shot them a wide grin, beckoning them over.

Missy knew that they should probably go…but before she knew it, the pair of them were strutting over to the mercenary and his bartender friend.

As they arrived at his side, he pushed a glass towards Missy.

"I got you both a drink," he said cheerily, his eyes grazing over her features. "A whisky and coke for you..."

He tapped the glass full of the dark mixer, before quickly bending down and sweeping the tiny Emily up into his arms with a groan.

"And for you, Chicken Little," he said as Emily gave a giggle, grasping his ear in her tiny digits, her other hand in her drool-covered mouth. "A chocolate milk."

Missy gave a bemused smile, glancing down to indeed see a little carton of chocolate milk with a large cartoon rabbit on the side, sitting on the bar.

She was about to open her mouth to question it when the bartender beside them spoke-

"Chocolate milk is Booth over there's, hangover drink of choice," he uttered, nodding over towards a big-set, guy sitting in the corner, slumped over a glass of whisky.

"Cwoclat?" asked Emily suddenly, causing Wade to beam widely.

"Yuh-huh," replied Wade, setting the tiny girl down onto a high barstool beside them, before standing behind her, making sure she didn't topple backwards. He handed her the carton of milk and undid the cap for her. "'Fraid that you're going to have to wait until you're 21 to start doing shots and hustling guys at pool."

He looked up at Missy, who gave a smirk before glancing down towards her own heart thudded inside her chest.

Emily however didn't seem interested in the milk instead making grabby hands towards a brightly-coloured beer mat on the bar, which Weasel handed to her, chuckling.

"So you must be the famous Missy and Emily, Wade's always in here talking about," said Weasel conversationally, offering her a lopsided grin.

Missy smirked, glancing up at the blonde merc beside her.

"Not all bad stuff I hope?" she said, her eyes meeting with Wade's. She could feel herself blushing under his returned gaze.

"Nah," said Wade giving an easy shrug. "Just telling my main man, Weasel here, how you were my hot and sexy-nurse when I got beat up on that job last month."

Missy rolled her eyes but she couldn't help but notice Wade shoot Weasel a warning look.

She stared at the pair curiously.

But Wade turned back to her, nonchalantly, pushing her still-full glass towards her.

"Drink up," he murmured, leaning in towards her. Missy felt her breath catch slightly as he did so.

But she merely shook her head, nudging the glass away from her.

"As much as I appreciate the gesture," she bit back teasingly. "I have a two-year old daughter I probably should be concentrating on. Sorry."

She looked down at Emily, who was currently chewing on the sticky-beer mat.

Missy pulled it from the toddler's grasp immediately.

"Ah, ah, ah," she said placing it onto the bar away from Emily.

But immediately Emily's face crumpled and she gave a sad little pout.

"Awwww," came a sudden gruff voice from behind them. "What's wrong tiny?"

Missy turned to see a large bald man with a long grey beard, stare down at Emily, cocking his head to the side.

Emily stared up at him for a moment, her little mouth falling open. The tiny girl wasn't used to having this much attention. She gave a babble, and pointed her sticky paw out towards him.

The man clutched at his heart. "She is so _precious_ ," he said looking at Missy. "Can I?" He nodded towards the little girl.

Missy glanced at Wade uncertainly. "I….um…she's not really that great with strangers…"

And true to Missy's word, Emily turned to Wade shyly, making grabby hands at _him_ instead.

Wade grinned, lifting the toddler back up into his arms. She instantly tucked her tiny head beneath his chin.

"Do not tell me this is your kid, Wilson?" growled the burly man, giving a laugh. "How the hell did you manage to produce something so perfect, I mean look at you!"

Wade raised an eyebrow.

"Thanks for that, Buck," uttered the merc with contempt in his voice. "But sadly this beautiful little creature here is not mine."

Wade gave a mock-growl as Emily pawed at his face, giggling.

Missy watched the pair of them, giving an inward sigh…

Had she really made the right decision, pushing Wade away like that?

Seeing the two of them together like this… her heart thudded.

But her thoughts were soon disturbed by a the sound of high heels strutting caross the room, and before she knew it, a dark-taloned hand had slipped its way over Wade's shoulder.

"Well hey there, good-looking," came the purring voice of a petite, dark-haired woman with dark-red lips and a teasing smile.

Missy gave a gulp as Wade turned and smiled at the woman. And for the first time in years she felt the bitter sting of jealousy score through her.

"Oh hey," said Wade cheerily, grinning up at her like the idiot he was.

Was there something between the pair of them? The way her hand remained on his shoulder like that…

Missy stared hard at them.

"And _who_ is this gorgeous little thing?" uttered Vanessa, stroking Emily's soft, pink cheek with her finger. She gave a laugh as the toddler waved up at her shyly.

"This," uttered Wade carrying on clueless. "is Em-Bear. You wanna say hi to Vanessa?"

But Emily shook her head shyly, burying her face in the fluffy sheepskin collar of Wade's coat.

Missy looked on, trying to stop herself from sighing.

Wade and Vanessa would make a cute couple, there was no denying that. And, hey, who was Missy to judge, she had made her decision and now she needed to let them merc be happy and get on with his life. He could date anyone he wanted…

"And this…" said Wade suddenly, smiling widely and nodding over towards Missy herself, standing there silently. "…is her beautiful yummy-mommy, Missy."

At his words Missy couldn't help but flush red, not even noticing Vanessa shoot Wade a knowing look.

"Ahhh, _Missy_ ," said Vanessa, almost beaming from ear to ear. "It's really good to meet you."

Missy flashed her a genuine smile in return. "Likewise."

But right at this minute Missy felt like all she wanted to do was down her whisky like a shot and get out of here….

She looked at Emily.

"I think we should probably start making a move-" she uttered, but her words were drowned out by a sudden loud male voice.

"Oh my word, isn't she gorgeous?" came a loud-southern drawl as two older men ambled up to Wade, peering down at the smiling Emily, still sat happily in the merc's arms.

"Such a little sugar-dumplin" said another. "Reminds me of my grandkid."

Missy let out a silent sigh, as a crowd formed around the little girl, Wade showing her off proudly.

Maybe they _could_ hang around for a few more minutes…

* * *

Twenty whole minutes later and Emily was currently sat up on the pool table giggling happily, as the burly, almost frightening-looking men, cooed at her, passing her pool ball after ball and allowing her to crawl across the purple felt and push the shiny balls into the pockets.

After each one dropped out of sight, she would give a tiny squeal of excitement, as the men all laughed around her.

"Wow," said Wade suddenly in Missy's ear. "I haven't seen anyone this popular with my fellow soldiers of fortune, since we had some girl come in giving out free flyers for buy-one-get-one-free facials. Unfortunately for us, it wasn't the kind of facials we were looking for, BUT our pores _were_ minimised beautifully."

Missy smirked. She had remained at the bar, watching as Wade and his fellow bar-goers fawned over her two-year old daughter.

Another cheer rang out as Emily dropped a red ball into the pocket.

Weasel, who was collecting glasses, looked up from what he was doing, giving a grin.

"Hey, she's better at pool than you are, Buck!" he yelled, causing another raucous roar of laughter.

Missy stared over at Emily a little nervously. Emily normally didn't react well to this level of noise. But for the first time in a long time, the toddler didn't seem to care. Too busy having fun.

"So," continued Wade, coming to stand in front of her once more, leaning up against the bar. "You…uh…you have a good Christmas?"

Missy stared instantly up at him.

Neither of them had yet broached the subject of her asking him to leave on Christmas day…

"Um…." She glanced down at her high—heeled feet. "…it was ok…a-and yours?"

The guilt hit Missy like a tonne of bricks. How well could his Christmas have gone…he didn't seem to have any family nearby or any friends he was likely to have spent the day with…

But Wade gave an easy shrug, his lips twitching up into a smile. "Well I got drunk on eggnog, cried my eyes out to It's A Wonderful Life and passed out by 6pm…so, you know…the usual festive spectacular…"

He offered her a goading look, as Missy rolled her eyes, giving a chuckle.

Over at the pool table, Missy noticed Vanessa handing Emily another heavy ball.

"So, you and Vanessa…" said Missy after a moment, looking back over at Wade. "She seems lovely."

Wade's chocolate eyes met with Missy's.

"Me and-" he began, before standing up a little straighter. "Oh…no…she's just.."

"It's ok," said Missy giving him a smile and blushing slightly. She raised her hands, speaking over him hurriedly. "There's no need to explain, really-"

" _No, it's just there's-"_

"No, it's fine-"

" _No, I mean that there's-"_

"Really, its' cool-"

Suddenly Wade grabbed both of Missy's hands in his own.

"Fuck, will you shut up…." he said loudly. Luckily everyone was to engrossed in what Emily was doing to pay any attention. Wade gave a frown. "Geez….can you let a guy finish?"

Missy scowled back.

"Excuse me?" she said a little bemused, but she did not remove her hands from his.

"God…you can be so fucking frustrating sometimes," he said shaking his head, but his eyes never leaving hers.

"Me?!" snapped Missy, interlacing her fingers with his. "I'm frustrating?!"

"YES!" growled Wade incredulously. "And annoying too!"

Missy let her mouth drop open as he took a step closer to her.

"Me? Annoying?!" she said glaring at him. "Have you even looked in the mirror Wade Wilson?"

Wade nodded. "Yep, and all I'm met with is, is a stunningly handsome, Sears catalogue-esq model, with Ryan Reynold's style good-looks."

Missy narrowed her eyes at him.

God, right now, she just wanted to punch him in that smug face of his…..or maybe just kiss him…that could work too…

The pair of them were staring at each other hard, their chest rising and falling, body's subconsciously turned into one another's…

They were barely a few inches away…all it would take was for the merc to lean in towards her…

Her heart thudded in her chest….

Oh god, she wanted him _so_ badly, right now.…

But suddenly her daydream was broken as there came a sudden loud 'Awwwww' that filled the entire room.

She tore her eyes away, staring over to the pool table where Emily was giving a huge yawn, her little eyes blinking tiredly.

Missy gave a soft sigh and a smile.

"I think it's time to go home young lady, don't you?" she said moving swiftly over to where Emily was sat and scooping her up into her arms.

The toddler immediately rested her head against Missy's shoulder. The excitement had really tired her out.

"You wanna say goodbye to everyone?" whispered Missy, stroking the little girl's cheek with her finger.

Emily lifted her head a little and looked around sleepily.

"Bai bai," she said, giving the tiniest wave from her paw.

The small crowd immediately melted at this.

Missy smiled as her daughter settled herself once more, snuggling into her coat.

The sooner they could get home, Missy could give Emily something small to eat and get her into bed, the better.

But as she turned, she found Wade at her side, grinning down at her, his hands shoved into the pockets of his sheepskin coat.

"What?" he asked, as she stared up at him, a smirk across her features. "Well, you didn't expect me to let you walk home on your own did you? After all, I am your friendly neighbourhood, well….. _neighbour."_

Missy let out a chuckle, following him out of the bar and out into the cold night.

* * *

Twenty minutes later and after a mostly silent amble home, Missy and Wade found themselves in their shared hallway.

Emily was now sound asleep in Missy's arms, curled up and content.

Missy grasped in her purse for her keys with her free hand, as Wade stared on at the pair of them.

"So," said Missy conversationally. "You gonna head back down to the bar. I kinda feel bad that we disturbed your night…"

"Naaaah," said Wade shooting her a smile. "I spend waaaaay too much time in there as it is…and besides I like spending time with my ladies from across the hallway."

Missy smiled back.

"Your ladies?" she said,raising an eyebrow towards him.

"Yep," he said cheerily. "Even if they did let me down on their promise of tequila shots and karaoke."

Missy gave a laugh, tucking a strand of long, caramel hair behind her ear.

"Maybe another time…" she said gently.

Wade grinned. "You realise I'll hold you to that…" he said shooting her a look.

A moment passed between them…a silence of sorts…but it was comfortable….needed…

Wade glanced down at the sleeping Emily in Missy's arms, as she gave a little snuffle.

Taking a step towards the pair of them, he brushed back the soft, short brown hair from Emily's face.

"Night Baby-bear," he uttered, as he leant in, pressing a tiny kiss to the toddler's pink little cheek, before pulling back.

For a second or two, Wade's face was just an inch from Missy's own.

Missy could feel his warm breath on the curve of her neck and she remembered how he felt, pressed up close to her, his strong arms holding her tight…

But she shook herself, blushing slightly…and in the blink of an eye the moment had passed.

Wade took a step back and Missy looked up at him once more, her green eyes meeting with his brown ones.

"Night Wade," she uttered softly.

But the merc merely grinned back, not saying a word, just watching, as Missy pushed open her front door, and headed inside.

He waited until she had gently shoved the door closed behind her with a snap, before running a hand over his face and giving a sigh.

"Goodnight Mama-Bear…"

* * *

 **Thank you so much to Legolas Girl 31, jeffhardyluvsme, petiteyoyo, Momochan77, dancindonna, jonstar1034, Nipps04, Smaug the golden, Inspector Me, BellaFantasia, AngiMK, Carlypso and tallon2692 for leaving a comment on the last chapter.**

 **What did you think about this one? Would love to hear what you think? Was it ok?**

 **Please review**


	18. Chapter 18

The weekend disappeared in a flash as it always did and before Wade knew it, Monday had once again reared its ugly head.

He had had a restless night's sleep and had awoken early this morning (by his standards at least!) to the sounds of a door slamming in the hallway. Missy's obviously. She and Emily must have been on their way to work and pre-school.

That was often the time that Wade would 'accidentally' bump into them in the hallway and walk them most of the way to their office block, just 'by chance' heading in that _exact_ same direction. But this morning Wade had barely been able to drag himself out of bed, yawning and stretching before heading into the bathroom.

Even now, by almost 2pm, the day was pretty much a write-off. Wade had got nothing done.

The merc was currently sat in jeans and a t-shirt, sprawled out across his couch, scrolling through his cell phone.

His swiftly-moving thumb landed suddenly on a selfie, that he, Missy and Emily had taken a few weeks ago at the park. Missy was stood at Wade's side, holding the tiny Emily up in her arms, all three of them beaming widely, Missy and Wade both mid-laugh.

His eyes lingered on the image for a long moment.

He knew that he was absolutely besotted with both of them.

Barely a second went by that Wade wouldn't think of the two of them. Every minute he was sat alone in his apartment, he fought the urge to get up, barge over to Missy's apartment and confess just how he felt about her.

But, he couldn't quite seem to forget what had happened on Christmas morning.

Wade had thought that he and Missy had had just the best night together. The way she had moaned his name breathlessly...kissed him…tossed her head back against the cool pillows begging him for release. He had presumed she had wanted him just as much as he had wanted her. But obviously he had been mistaken. She had pushed him away…and Wade was never going to argue that. That was her decision to make…

But that didn't stop his heart from craving her…

The merc gave a short sigh, tossing his phone down onto the sofa cushions by his feet.

But the second he did, his phone began to buzz loudly.

Wade gave a groan knowing it was probably work. Weasel had mentioned a big job coming up…

But plucking the device up once again, he sat up on his elbows at he saw the name plastered across the screen.

 ** _MISSY CALLING…_**

Wade answered almost instantly, pressing the phone to his ear.

"Hey," he uttered quickly, immediately wishing he had thought of a more charming opener.

There was a brief pause.

"Hey, Wade…" came Missy's hushed tones, it was obviously by the echo in her voice that she was speaking from a hallway or stairwell.

"Is…uh…is everything alright?" asked Wade after there came another long silence. "Or did you really miss me that much, you're just calling to hear my dulcet tones?"

But Missy didn't laugh.

"No…I…..errr….. I have a favour to ask," she said, her voice sounding slightly stressed, he could hear her high heels down the line and could tell that she was pacing. "We have this huge meeting at work and I've been asked to step in and take the minutes and, well….it's just gone 2 now and we're barely half way through….we won't be done until at least 5 by the looks of it….and well…..I really should be picking Emily up soon and…"

She trailed off, Wade hearing the worry in her voice.

"I wouldn't normally bother you…but it's just I don't really have anyone else I could ask…" she continued, her soft voice wavering slightly. Wade could picture her worrying at those pink lips of hers, like she normally did.

"Of course I can go fetch her. Three-fifteen right?" he replied in an easy tone.

He heard Missy hitch her breath in her throat.

"Are you sure?" she asked, her tone brightening slightly.

Wade couldn't help but grin.

"No problemo," he shrugged. "Wadey can bring Em-erino home, get her hopped up on sugar and pass her back over to you when you're done."

"…I…um….t-that's great," murmured Missy, sounding a little distracted. "I'll sign you in at reception. Look, I've got to go, were starting again…thanks you so much for this….I really do owe you."

"Wow…well there's no way I'm denying that….just promise me you don't make it up to me tooooooo much. A little brunch date at the Ritz and a couple of cases of Cuban cigars should do it…"

For the first time during their conversation, he heard Missy let out a quiet chuckle.

"Well on my salary, it might have to be more like some take-out and a movie one night, after Emily's gone to bed," she replied and Wade could hear that she was smiling.

"Well _that_ sounds like pretty much my dream date," he said a little teasingly.

Missy paused for a slight second but didn't argue with him. Instead giving him a brief. "Bye Wade" and ending the call.

Wade merely smiled to himself as he dropped the phone down to his side once again.

Maybe today wasn't going to turn out as to be as much of a write-off as he first had thought….

* * *

 **Thanks to starrat, Ingridie, srosal1, jonstar1034, dancindonna, Inspector me, Legolas Girl 31, Momochan77, Raging Raven, AngiMK and Smaug the Golden for reviewing the last chapter.**

 **Apologies for any spelling errors (more than normal anyway!) in my last post. That's what you get from being a fast typer and not proof-reading first!**

 **Sorry this one is only short! Another one will be on the way very soon…**

 **Let me know what you thought of this wee one. I'd really love to hear your thoughts…**

 **Please review**


	19. Chapter 19

Wade paced along the busy sidewalk toward the business district of town, his usual red sheepskin jacket thrown haphazardly over his t-shirt.

He normally received some scornful glances from passers-by in this part of the city, and today was no exception.

Wade knew he did not look like the most trustworthy character, granted, but some men and women in flashy pinstripe suits and $200 haircuts, would actually take the time to cross the street to avoid him. But hey, he had experienced worse in his life than a few dismissive looks.

The merc barely even batted an eyelid as a young woman talking on a cell phone, actually scowled, side-stepping Wade as he strolled by.

It was ten minutes to three when the merc strutted through the revolving doors, hands in pockets and into Missy's office building.

He was early, he knew that, but he was sure Em wouldn't mind getting out of this place a little sooner.

I mean, even the foyer looked clinical and unwelcoming, and as Wade approached the front desk, a dark-haired receptionist in her thirties, looked him up and down with distaste upon her features.

"Can I help you?" she asked, her eyes lingering on him uneasily.

Wade gave an nonchalant grin.

"I'm looking for the day-care?" he muttered, his hands shoved deep into his jacket pockets.

The receptionist gave him another reproachful look.

"Ah, yes, Mr…Wilson, isn't it?" she said turning back to her PC and clicking her mouse a few times. "Yeah, you've been signed in. Take the elevator up to the sixth floor and it'll be on your left through the glass doors."

Wade gave a nod, and flashed the woman a smile. "Thanks…" he glanced down at her name badge. "…Bonnie."

She narrowed her eyes at him before tutting and turning away.

Wade gave a chuckle to himself as he strolled casually towards the sleek elevators, and within a couple of minutes he was flying smoothly up towards the sixth floor.

The doors pinged open and Wade swaggered out, receiving a frown from a snooty-looking man in a shirt and tie, as he did so.

Turning left, just as the receptionist had told him, he saw the looming glass doors up ahead and a boring little black and white sign outside which read 'Sixth floor Day-care'. No bright colours, no cartoon images of fluffy little animals, the likes of which you would normally find at a nursery. No. This place looked blank, and just as clinical as the lobby had seemed.

Wade pushed his way through the glass doors, taking care, as a small boy of about three, zoomed past him, holding his arms out like an airplane.

The place was _slightly_ more child-friendly in here, with a few toys littered around and some scooters and trikes laying around on the floor. In the corner was a small playhouse where two tiny girls both about Emily's age were dressed up in pink dresses playing loudly together, shrieking and laughing.

There was no sign of Emily at first sight, or any staff for that matter…so Wade took a few cautious steps into the room.

He was no expert but surely leaving children pretty much unattended right by the front doors had to be a no –no, right?

But it wasn't until he peered around the corner, behind a large bookcase did he see just why the children had been left to their own devices.

Standing there in the corner, beside a tiny shelf full of kid's books, was a large sour-faced woman in her fifties. At this moment she was bent over, her face sneering down at a tiny brown-haired little girl Wade recognised very well indeed…

For there was Emily, backed into a corner, a book about a Lion called Lonny lying discarded on the floor beside her.

The tiny toddler was red in the face, her cheeks soaking wet with tears.

She looked terrified, her hands pressed tightly to her ears, her little legs shaking terribly. From her mouth poured the most heart-breaking sobs…

"You need to do as I say, like the other children, young lady, and stop being such a little _brat_ ," spat the woman, her voice raised harshly. "Take your hands off your ears and listen to me!"

With that, the woman doubled over, snatching Emily's hands away from her ears roughly, only causing the toddler to let out a scream of fear.

But the sour-faced woman was unrelenting, advancing on Emily as the tiny girl stood still, petrified.

"You think just because you're spoiled at home, that you don't deserve some discipline here? Well think again," continued the woman, her teeth bared. "You won't even listen to me when I tell you to go take a nap with the other children. Well I've had enough! I just think you're a bad child that needs to go sit on the naughty step. Now! Go on! Go!"

But Emily didn't move.

She was crying so hard that Wade doubted she could hear anything above the sound of her own sobs. She looked confused and terrified, clutching her hands to her ears once again, in fear.

Wade took a step further into the room.

He could feel his blood boiling, his teeth clenched hard, his jaw set.

"Ugh, well you know what?" said the hard-faced old woman, snatching Emily's arm away from her ear once more, but this time she did not let go. Clutching the toddler's forearm tightly, she pulled at her roughly, causing Emily to cry even louder. "I think someone ought to teach you a lesson-"

Wade gave a growl, and in an instant he was at the woman's side.

"Oh, I would _not_ do that if I were you," he said in a low, dangerous voice, his eyes black.

The woman jerked her head around to look at him.

"And who are you?" she asked in a snide voice, not relinquishing her grip on Emily's arm.

Wade was furious, seeing red. It took him all his effort not to pull out the knife he knew he was carrying from inside his pocket.

"Oh, I'm gonna need you to take your fucking hands off her," he said in a menacing tone, taking a step closer to the sour-faced witch.

But the woman merely shot him a hollow look. "I don't see what it's got to do with you!"

But now it was Wade's turn to back this woman into a corner.

He advanced on her, looming over her intimidatingly. _That_ he was good at. It was his job after all…making all manner of grown men cower and cry…

The horrible woman took a swift step back, letting go of Emily's arm. "I-I'll call security…" she uttered, giving a visible gulp.

Wade growled under his breath, his fists both clenched and his chin lowered.

Right now he looked every inch the mercenary people whispered amongst themselves about...

He was tall and broad, and little did this woman know, that he was trained in almost everything that was needed to take a man out…

The woman whimpered, her back now flush against the wall, her nicotine-stained lips quivering.

But Wade didn't care, and as quick as a flash he had turned away from her and crouched down before the tiny Emily who was still sobbing her little heart out.

It took her a second or two to finally focus on him.

"Hey Em-bear…" he uttered his face softening slightly, as he brushed his thumb down her sticky cheek, wiping away her still-falling tears.

A second passed before she suddenly clutched his coat tightly in her little fists and tried her best to clamber into his lap, trying to get as close to him as she possibility could.

Wade immediately grasped her to his chest, lifting her into his arms, he could feel that her little butt was wet, but she definitely could _not_ be blamed for that right now. Or ever, in fact.

She continued to sob in his arms as he held her close, getting to his feet. "Shhh, it ok, Wadey's here," he said in a quiet voice, barely knowing if she could hear him or not, but he needed to say it, if only for his own benefit.

It was only now that he realised how much his heart was pounding and how much of a lump he had in his throat.

He was absolutely besotted with Em and to see this woman talk to her like that…

All he wanted to do was get the toddler out of here.

Turning on his heel, he began to promptly stalk out of there, back over towards the door.

He lingered for a second or two, grasping up Emily's recognisable red coat from a hook by the door, just as the woman, regaining her confidence slightly, strode across the room towards him.

"Y-You're the father?" she scoffed loudly, her voice still sounding a little shaken up.

But Wade didn't answer, not even wanting to rise to her words.

"Well that says a lot doesn't it?" spat the woman, pointing at him accusingly. "Of course a child like _that_ would spawn from a lowlife like you! She doesn't deserve to be here, with the normal kids-"

Wade's eyes blackened and he turned sharply to face her, his chin lowered dangerously.

"A child like what?" he murmured in a dark tone.

But the woman, seeing his look, gave a gulp, backing away slightly, looking fearful and defensive.

Wade who didn't want a still-trembling Emily, to have to be here a moment longer, hurled open the glass doors, stalking out.

"S-She's not welcome here again. You hear me? You can tell that girlfriend of yours that too!" he heard the woman yell behind him as the door swung shut.

Wade headed straight into the elevator, still holding Emily tightly to him. Her sticky paws were still tightly clutched around his sheepskin lapels, and she looked him directly in the face as her sobs began to subside.

He smiled up at her, as the doors closed shut, brushing a free hand across her forehead.

She looked back at him, giving a sniffle and placing her tiny fingers into her mouth.

A moment passed between them and Wade felt a love like he had never felt about anything else in this world.

All he wanted was for her to be safe…happy…to grow up knowing that she had people around her that truly loved her.

It was a long second before the tiny toddler finally opened her mouth and spoke, her voice quiet…

"I not nowmal?"

Wade almost immediately shook his head, a frown settling itself between his brows.

It broke his heart to hear her say that…

"Of course you're normal, in fact you're better than normal," he said bouncing her slightly in his arms. " _You_ , Chicken Little, are the most amazingly, fantastic little bear I know…"

She looked at him, blinking for a second, before she let out a sudden gushing smile, her hands reaching up for his cheeks.

"I not bear!" she said giving a giggle and 'smushing' Wade's face between her sticky paws.

He raised his eyebrows at her, pressing the button marked G for ground floor.

"Are too!" he said giving her sides the tiniest of tickles causing her to laugh a little louder. The sound brightening his day entirely…

* * *

 **Thanks to petite-yoyo, Legolas Girl 31, dancindonna, pyroleigh, Momochan77, jonstar1034 and Smaug the Golden for reviewing the last chapter.**

 **What did you think about this one? Was it alright?**

 **Please review**


	20. Chapter 20

Thirty minutes later and Wade and Emily had arrived back at his place, her little paw clutched inside his, gently.

She had asked to walk, which he had of course obliged her, and she had even cheekily asked him for an ice cream, which again he of course, was unable to say no to.

So now, as he fiddled with his keys, he gave a chuckle as he glanced down to see the tiny brown-haired toddler, her face and hands covered in sticky chocolate ice-cream.

She had definitely cheered up from earlier. Kids really were pretty resilient. But as long as Wade was here, no one was ever going to treat her like that again.

He was still slightly furious about that woman's attitude, but during their walk home, guilt had crept over him.

How the fuck was he going to explain to Missy that he had got Em kicked out of day-care?

Well, in honesty, he knew that Missy would not have wanted Emily to go back there anyway. But he knew that money was tight for her as it was, without this to worry about too.

As he pushed open the door he bent down and hurled up Emily into his arms.

"Come on, Chicken Little," he uttered flashing her a smile, as Emily licked runny chocolate ice-cream from her paw.

She was a mess, and Wade could feel that through her little pink leggings, her butt was still soaking wet.

He couldn't have her sitting around in this state until Missy got home.

"Well aren't you a hot mess?" he said raising an eyebrow, as Emily babbled happily in his arms. "What does your Mommy usually do when you're like this?"

Wade hadn't even realised that Emily had been able to hear him, which was often the case if she wasn't looking directly at you when you spoke. But to his surprise, she peered down at an ice cream drip making its way slowly down her arm and opened her little mouth…

"Baff," she muttered. "Baff, baff, baff!"

Wade chuckled, heading inside his apartment and kicking the front door shut behind him.

Wade's place was only small, and a bath was not a luxury he had, just a shower. And the toddler definitely looked too young for one of those…

Suddenly he had an idea.

Pacing quickly through into the kitchen, he plonked Emily down onto the counter before starting to fill up the kitchen sink.

It would be a tight squeeze, but it would do.

Emily looked curiously over at what he was doing.

"Noh, I noh baff in ther!" she said giving a giggle.

But Wade looked back at her, raising a scarred eyebrow towards her.

"You arguing with me, Em-bear?" he laughed, as he placed his hand into the warm water to test it, and switched off the faucet.

She gave another shy little giggle, as Wade advanced on her, making to tickle her sides.

The tiny toddler let out a shriek of laugher, attempting to wriggle away from him, but Wade grasped her tiny legs gently.

"You arguing?" he repeated, causing her to cackle.

He tugged off her little brown booties, then her red coat. That was the easy part.

Wade, didn't have much experience with kids and getting Emily to peel off her wet leggings, pink shirt and pull-up diaper was another story altogether.

She knew of course, how far she could push him, squirming and moving about as he wrestled with her, laughing cheekily as she did so.

Wade gave a sigh, finally, after what felt like an age, dropping her sodden clothes to the floor and lifting her into the sink.

Almost instantly Emily gave a cry, kicking her legs out and sending a mass of water splashing over the rim of the sink and all over Wade's jeans.

Juuuust great…

She laughed wickedly, knowing that she had done a naughty thing.

Emily then proceed to turn around on the spot, sticking her little bare butt in the air (mooning Wade in the process) and pull out the plug.

"No, no, no," said Wade, reaching back into the water and replacing it. He gave a 'tut', but couldn't help but grin.

Emily of course found this hilarious.

She turned back around to face him, bending down and splashing water all over his black t-shirt with her hands.

"Waydee…thish not baff!" she said, giving a shriek and bouncing up and down on her tiny legs.

Wade rolled his eyes, before reaching over to his drainer and picking up a jug.

He was waaaaay out of his depth here.

….

Ten minutes later and Wade was more wet than Emily. Somehow the toddler had manged to get more of the water outside the sink than in it and the kitchen floor was now a complete state.

But Wade didn't really care, he had laughed more in the last few minutes than he had in a long, long time.

Emily was quickly catching onto the fact that she could get away with murder where Wade was concerned.

Even now, the merc had barely turned his back for second, heading across his room to reach for a fresh towel, when he looked back over, to find Emily with one leg over the sink, trying her best to clamber out.

"Fucking Christ!" he yelled before he could stop himself, leaping back over and plucking Emily's little naked form up, before she could topple out.

She gave a squeal and a giggle as Wade shook his head, his heart finally beginning to beat normally again.

Jeez, he was gonna have a heart attack at this rate!

Wade wrapped the tiny girl swiftly in the enormous fluffy towel and carried her over to his bed, rubbing at her little arms and legs as he did so.

"Whas fukee chrish mean?" said Emily after moment or two staring up at him, as he placed her gently down.

Wade couldn't help but let out a smirk.

"Well, what it _means_ is something very naughty that only grown-ups are allowed to say," said Wade in a goading voice. "And under no circumstances do we repeat that to your gorgeous Mommy! Alright?"

But Emily was barely listening any more, instead, squirming around inside the towel like a little worm, trying to flip onto her front and crawl away.

Wade dragged her back towards him.

"Jeez, you are a nightmare!" he said mockingly. "How does your Mommy do it?"

Emily tried again, this time breaking free of his clutches, heading up towards his pillows.

Wade gave a sigh and got to his feet, letting her be for a second or two.

He glanced back over to the kitchen where her wet clothes lay in a heap.

There was no way she could wear those again, but he couldn't have her running around naked all night. It was late January after all.

Pacing quickly over to his wardrobe he suddenly pulled out a navy t-shirt with the words 'Big Rico's Pizza' written on the front in big white letters.

He turned back to the toddler, who was currently sitting up on the bed, chewing on her hand.

She looked up at him as he approached her once more.

"Waydee kissh Mommy 'gain?" she suddenly asked. The question was out of the blue and Wade stopped in his tracks slightly as she said it.

He gave a smile.

"See…the thing is," he said slowly, taking breath as he opened out the shirt. "I don't know if your Mommy _wants_ me to kiss her."

Emily stared up at him, barely even batting an eyelid as the enormous shirt was pulled over her head.

"Mommy wans kissh Waydee, lots an lots!" she said giggling, as Wade pulled her little arms through the sleeves.

Wade let out a chuckle. "Does she now?" he asked.

Emily gave a nod, clambering to her feet.

"Yesh, an I wan kissh Waydee too," she said grasping his stubbly cheek with her tiny paw before pressing a sloppy kiss to it.

The merc grinned, as she pulled away and waddled over to the edge of the bed, peering over onto the floor.

The t-shirt swamped her completely, and she looked to him, like the cutest thing he had ever seen his entire life.

Emily suddenly looked back at him, her eyes full of something Wade couldn't quite put his finger on…

But within a split second, he figured out what this was, as Emily let out another loud shriek, before leaping off the bed and running across the floor away from him, naughtily.

Wade ran a hand down his face, but couldn't help but smirk.

She would be the death of him one day.

He stood up straight and in an instant he had caught the toddler, sweeping her up into his arms as she let out a delighted squeal.

"Jeeeeez, you're crazier that Britney circa 2007 tonight!" he said as he grinned up at her, and carried her into the kitchen. "Come on. Let's see what we can make for dinner…..then while _that's_ cooking, you can tell me _EXACTLY_ why your Mommy wants to kiss me. Okay?"

Emily grasped her little fingers around the collar of his, still-damp, t-shirt, happily.

"Okway...…" she agreed, giving Wade a tiny, beaming smile….

* * *

 **Thanks to hotanimegirl, starrat, Welisarne, Sesflynn, pyroleigh, Momochan77, OhBeClever, Smaug The Golden, petite yoyo, dancindonna, Guest, Legolas Girl 31, Raging Raven, jonstar1034, ChibiSpyStuff and Carlypso for reviewing the last chapter. I absolutely LOVED your reactions to that chapter!**

 **Please, please let me know what you thought of this one. Was it ok?**

 **Please review!**


	21. Chapter 21

Missy had had a long, tough day at work. She had been in meetings all day, where important discussions on the finances of the company had taken place. It seems that the company wasn't doing too well and profits were down. Despite Missy only being in there to take the minutes, making hurried notes in the corner of the meeting room, she had however gleaned that job losses were likely in the coming weeks. And Missy had a horrible sinking feeling that it would be last one in, first one out…

It had been hard enough getting back into work since a having Emily and this company had been the only ones to even offer her any sort of interview. She was smart and had gone to college, but it was as though since having a child, people treated you differently, as though she wasn't capable…or _willing_ to work…

The last thing Missy needed right now was to lose this job. If she lost her job, it would mean that she couldn't pay rent. And if she couldn't pay rent, it would mean she would have to move back down to Florida and live with her aunt again.

What other choice would she have?

But it would break her heart to know that after all these months, she would prove all the nay-sayers _right_ , and that she hadn't been able to make it on her own after all. That she _couldn't_ provide for her own daughter like she should be able to…

That would just be the start of a downward spiral that Missy had hoped she was well shot of…

The last year or so had not been an easy one. After what had happened with Scott…..

Well, Missy had become pretty depressed…it was an easy thing to happen, especially when you had to try and cope on your own…

But seeing Emily's beautiful, bright face each and every day, had made everything just that little bit better…until Missy had been strong enough to stand up tall again…

She just hoped she would not find herself repeating those horrible few months of her life all over, once more…

Climbing the last couple of steps up towards her hallway, she made her way over to Wade's door, giving a gentle knock.

After today, she was so excited to see Emily, it having been the longest she had been away from her in a while.

A second passed and another…

Missy listened, giving a frown.

Behind the door she could hear whispers and giggling. She pursed her lips, hitching up her handbag over her shoulder and knocked again.

It was only brief moment later, that the door was suddenly hurled open, and there came a loud-

"RARRRR!"

Standing there, was a grinning Wade, in a dark t-shirt and jeans. And in his arms, was Emily, dressed in an ENORMOUS t-shirt that hung past her chubby little legs.

Missy raised her eyebrows and placed a hand over her heart in mock-fright.

"Wow, now that _was_ scary," she said, beaming over at the little girl.

Emily immediately giggled and reached out making grabby hands for Missy.

"Mommy, I mished you," said the tiny toddler as Missy reached out and tugged her to her, clutching her tight to her chest.

Missy felt her heart swell with love as she peered down at her daughter.

"What on earth are you wearing?" asked the caramel-haired woman, cocking a sudden eye up at Wade questioningly.

"I haa acsiden coz lady showted a me," said Emily in a quiet voice, reaching for Missy's diamond-studded earlobe. "Waydee gayv me baff!"

Missy's eyes widened. "A bath? Wait! What? Who shouted at you?"

She looked between the pair of them confused, as Wade gave a wincing grimace.

"Uh…you wanna come in?" he asked, stepping aside.

Missy's eyes roved over his long features questioningly, but she obliged him, walking past him, Emily still safe within her arms.

Wade's place looked like a bombsite, the table covered in spaghetti, the kitchen floor covered in water and Wade's bed littered with various crayons and sheets of paper.

A few feet into the messy apartment, she turned back to face him as he pushed the front door gently shut and looked over at her.

* * *

Wade gave a gulp. How the fuck was he gonna tell her?

There she was standing in his apartment, looking as heavenly as ever, Emily held tight within her arms.

She was waaay too perfect for him and he knew it. In fact they both were…

Wade couldn't help but be in awe of her right at this very moment…

The merc stood there, scratching the back of his neck, looking guilty.

"See the thing is…I kiiiinda, got Em-bear kicked out of day-care," he said after a lengthy moment had passed. He raised his hands to shoulder level. "But in my _defence_ , the woman working there was compete assho- … I mean… a total hag."

He shook his head as Missy stopped still, her mouth falling slightly open.

Oh fuck….

Fuck…

Fuck…

Fuck…

Missy's eyes bored into his.

She had a strange look upon her face…and Wade was almost certain she was going to start yelling at any second.

She had more than a right to…

Emily, who had become bored of tugging on Missy's ear lobe, had now taken up sucking on a long strand of her Mom's caramel hair. But Missy barely reacted to the toddler, instead, she was still and unmoving…

This was worse than yelling, thought Wade, as silence pierced the room like a knife.

Yep, this was waaaay worse…

But suddenly, much to Wade's utter surprise, Missy gave a smile…

A sad smile…. then a small laugh….

She sat down on the edge of Wade's bed and lifted a hand to her face, running it over her delicate features.

Wade took a nervous step towards her, as she shook her head and glanced up towards him.

"It's ok…" she said in a gentle voice. Her face was warm, but tired looking. "…it was going to happen eventually."

She shrugged, giving the slightest of sighs, before turning back to Emily and prising the long strand of her hair from her mouth.

"I'll…." Missy uttered, pausing for a moment and stroking the toddler's cheek. "-I'll just have to see if I can get a sitter or something…"

She glanced up, her eyes meeting his once again.

"Seriously, don't look so worried.. its fine.." she said chuckling. Turning back to Emily, she jiggled the little girl on her knee. "We'll be ok…won't we, sweetie?"

Wade cocked his head at the caramel-haired woman, catching the slightest look of worry and concern that lingered across her features. She tried to hide it well, but Wade could see through that in a second...

Missy was like a lioness protecting her cub…she would never show any vulnerability.

But Wade knew for a fact that she couldn't afford a sitter…not on her wage…and even if she could somehow manage to scrape together the money, there would be nothing left at the end of the month.

What kind of life was that for either of them?

Wade watched as Emily giggled and hugged at Missy, trying to climb up onto her wobbly little legs, which Missy grabbed at, and tickled.

"So did you have fun trying to give her a bath?" asked Missy after a moment, glancing up at Wade and smirking. "Because I know for a _fact_ that she is a naughty little girl when it comes to bath time…aren't you baby?"

She grabbed the toddler's sides causing her to squeal with happiness.

Wade grinned, gesturing towards the kitchen.

"Not my finest idea," he said nodding towards the still-sopping wet kitchen floor. "But on the plus side, it's the first time in about four years I've had a girl naked on my kitchen counter."

Missy rolled her eyes, flushing slightly, but laughed anyway. She turned back to Emily.

"So did you and Wade have fun today while Mommy had to work?" she asked her, prising the lapels of her coat from her daughter's sticky hands.

The brown-haired toddler nodded.

"I 'ad baff an I dwaw pikshur an I goin shtay wiff Waydee in day naw!" said the little girl beaming happily.

Missy pursed her lips together, glancing up at Wade bemusedly.

The merc stared back at her through dark eyes.

"Way to let the cat out of the bag, Em-Bear," he said in a faux-irritated tone, rubbing the back of his neck. But Emily merely ignored him, too busy staring up into her Mom's face to pay any attention to his words.

Wade gazed over at the pair of them, taking a step closer to Missy.

"See, the thing is, Chicken Little and I have been brainstorming your problem, and we've come up with a solution," he continued, giving a grin. "Instead of you paying for an expensive sitter, how about _I_ do it, for free?"

Missy slowly raised her eyebrows at him.

"I mean, I have nothing better to do until around 9pm anyway on most days…" he said, feeling his heart beating inside his chest.

He wanted to do this. He wanted to help her out. To be there for the little girl… _and_ for Missy.

Geez, he knew how he felt about her…

He'd jump off a bridge if he thought it would make the pair of them laugh…

He was absolutely besotted with them…

Missy stared up at him. "Um…."

"Listen, you don't have to say yes right away-" said Wade, but before he could finish, Missy cut across him.

"Yes."

Wade looked up at her suddenly, stopping still.

What had she just said?

"I-If that really is ok with you…" said Missy, biting her lip and looking up at him a little tentatively. "…I mean she loves you a-and I would rather she be with you than someone she doesn't know…"

Wade's face almost immediately curved up into a wide smile, casing wrinkles to form at the corners of his eyes.

"…That's great with me…and hey, you can pay me, in….say, a bi-weekly takeout?" he uttered, raising a single scarred eyebrow.

Missy smiled back, a hint of something lingering within her gaze, that caused Wade's heart to beat just that little bit faster.

"Deal…"

* * *

"…and so, that's when I finally hit 'fuck it', and began working with the guys at Sister Margaret's. Y'know they're all not so bad, really, especially when you get past the smell of unwashed leather pants…"

Missy gave a laugh.

She and Wade were sat on Wade's couch, facing each other.

About an hour ago, Emily had passed out, fast asleep under the covers of Wade's bed, still in her oversized t-shirt.

Today had been a long an eventful one, especially for a two year old.

On noticing, Missy had immediately got up to carry her back over to their own apartment, but Wade had suggested that they leave her where she looked comfortable.

He had then _insisted_ on taking Missy up on this afternoon's offer of a takeout and a movie.

They had ordered an enormous pizza to share and had stuck on a long and tedious Batman movie that had barely got going at all. So Wade had turned the volume down low and the pair had merely spend the last forty minutes chatting about, well….nothing much at all…

But were both more relaxed and happy than they both had been in a long time. That was definitely for sure. Wade had even pulled out a couple of bottles of beer from his fridge for them both.

Now, Wade lifted his own bottle to his lips and took a sip, staring at the caramel-haired woman as she glanced down into her lap.

Jesus Christ, he was crazy about her…

He just couldn't help himself.

Everything she did...

Every word she uttered…

He had fallen for her….and hard…

Her eyelashes fluttered up to his once more and she gave a gentle smile.

"What?" she asked questioningly.

But Wade merely shrugged.

"Well, I've given you my fucking life story…now it's your turn," he said goadingly.

Missy looked at him and paused for a second before giving a small sigh.

"I don't think my life is _quite_ as interesting as yours," she said picking up another slice of lukewarm pizza.

But Wade shrugged.

"Nahhh, I just make it sound cool. I'm like J. but with machetes instead of wands…and Baghdad instead of Hogwarts," he said in a deadpan tone.

Missy took a deep breath, placing her untouched pizza slice back down again. "There's really nothing to tell… I'm an only-child, I majored in English Lit in college, I had a couple of admin jobs…then I had Emily…that's really it. My life has been anything but exciting or glamourous…"

She looked away from him, picking at a loose thread at the hem of her grey pencil skirt.

But Wade gave a bemused frown.

"Now, I wouldn't say that," he said giving a chuckle. "I mean, you gave birth to perhaps _the_ cutest kid, I've ever known. AND you met, _and_ live across the hallway from me….I mean that's something to fucking be proud of!"

Missy looked up at him finally, her face breaking into a smile.

But Wade could see that behind her eyes, there was a hint of something. A sadness lingering there that she didn't want to let out.

He gave a blink.

"So am I right in guessing you were one hell of a gorgeous prego-mama?" he said raising an eyebrow.

Wade noticed Missy almost instantly flush.

"Well, if you include having swollen ankles and looking like a planet, being gorgeous… then, yeah, maybe I was," she uttered, nudging his knee and giving a laugh behind her hand.

There was a moment of silence before Wade spoke.

"Nah, I'm sure you still-looked fucking amazing," he insisted, gazing at her face.

The merc desperately wanted to ask about Em's Dad…about why he was no longer on the scene…but at the last second, decided better of it…

He merely watched as Missy gave a sigh, glancing over at the TV as a car crashed into a wall on screen, bursting into flames.

She shifted around slightly and to his surprise shuffled over an inch or two, closing the gap between the pair of them.

Wade, who was propped up against the corner of the couch, his arm flung out over the back of it, stared down at her.

He could feel his mouth going dry and his heart begin to beat faster.

Fuck…how the hell did she keep doing this to him?

He, of course, however, obliged her, feeling her weight shift slightly against him.

Neither of them said word for a moment or two, Missy, at least, engrossed in the movie.

Wade could smell her warm vanilla perfume…that heady scent reminding him of the feeling of her skin pressed up against his.

Memories of Christmas eve night came suddenly rushing back to him…the feeling of her smooth skin beneath his fingertips, the feeling of her racing pulse in her neck as he kissed her there…the sound of her gentle moans in his ear…

Wade stared at her.

 _Jesus Christ_ , she was fucking beautiful….

…and smart…

…and gorgeous…

...and interesting…

…and just…so unbelievably fucking amazing…

"You realise… " she said after a long moment had passed, causing Wade to jump slightly, shaking himself out of his trance. "…that looking after Emily is kind of a full-time job…I mean, I wouldn't blame you if you want to back out at any point… I mean with her disability….she can be tough to handle sometimes…I just…."

She glanced up at him from beneath heavy-eyelashes and shook her head a little worriedly.

"…I just wouldn't want you feeling like you had to help us out….we'd be ok on our own…" she continued before trailing off.

And he didn't doubt that for a second. She would be ok without him, of course he would. She was strong, gorgeous woman. But there was no way in a million years he was going to leave her now…

Right at that moment she looked sad, her eyes falling to her lap. But Wade gave a frown.

"You realise I'm not fucking going anywhere…like I said I'll be here, no matter what fucking happens…" he began, trying to get his point across to her.

He desperately wanted her know what he was trying to say…

Wade shifted slightly in his seat, locking his dark-brown eyes onto hers.

"…I know I might seem the kinda guy that would run out on you….but I won't…."

She looked up at him and he could hear her breath hitching slightly in her throat.

"I meant what I said…" he said in a serious tone, his eyes never leaving hers. "I'm fucking crazy about the both of you."

There followed a long silence, where it felt like there was only the two of them left in this entire world…

Wade took in a breath.

He wanted right then to confess exactly how he felt about her…

But she had pushed him away. That had been what she had wanted.

And if he tried anything on with her again he knew he might risk losing both of them for good.

"And besides," he replied after a long second or two had passed. "You've heard what my resume has had on it, so far. I think I can handle a two-year old girl, even if she can do more damage to my apartment in a couple of hours, than a pair of AK-47s."

The pair seemed to relax a little at Wade's comment and Missy gave a smile, turning back to the TV and shifting closer to him once again…

She seemed happy with that, and Wade desperately hoped that she had figured out what he been trying to tell her….what he had been trying to say beneath all his lengthy, Wade Wilson words.

That he wanted her…that he wanted Emily…that he wanted them both…

He gave an internal sigh and gazed down at Missy, her caramel-blonde head resting against his shoulder…

Fuck, he was in love…there was no fucking doubt about it…

Not any more…

Wade gave a gulp and settled himself into a comfortable position once again, with her leaning half up against his broad torso.

And this is how the pair of them remained, until the movie ended two hours later, and the screen went black…

With both of their eyes fallen shut, and their soft, sleep-filled breathing being the only sound emanating from either of them.

This was, for Wade _and_ Missy, the best night's sleep either of them had had…since that fateful Christmas Eve night…

* * *

 **Thanks to Wellisarne, jonstar1034, dancindonna, KatieR, Legolas Girl 31,xxcheshiregrinxx, Momochan77, Smaug The Golden, Carlypso, AngiMK and Raging Raven for reviewing the last chapter.**

 **I'm sorry if that was an awful chapter. It took me ages to write and I felt like it could have been way better. Apologies.**

 **Please review…**


	22. Chapter 22

And so it began…

The first morning of course was strange one for all of them, Missy in particular.

She got up as normal;, having a quick cuddle in bed with Emily, before they headed into the kitchen to grab some breakfast. Leaving Emily for a couple of minutes while she watched cartoons, eating her little bowl of cheerios with her mouth wide open as she did so, Missy hurriedly took a quick shower, before getting dressed in a smart navy blouse and dark grey pencil skirt and heels. Missy then took the time to get Emily changed, this morning, taking more time to pick out the toddlers clothes than hers.

Rifling through her bureau, she pulled out a cute little orange and white dress with tigers on, some little navy leggings and matching boots, before turning back to her gorgeous little daughter and smiling at her.

Emily was sat up on Missy's bed, playing with a cuddly stuffed rabbit, gabbling at it as if she was talking to a person.

Missy crouched down in front of her, caching her attention long enough for her to look up.

"So you excited about spending the day with Wade?" Missy asked a little apprehensively.

It was a big deal, passing her onto the merc every day. She had barely gotten adjusted to leaving for day-care. But at least now Missy was safe in the knowledge that Emily would be happy.

She enjoyed spending time with Wade, Missy could certainly see that. The two-year old's face would light up whenever Wade came into the room.

But part of her worried about relying on him too much…

Missy told herself that this was only a temporary solution.

She was already looking and applying for other jobs. She wasn't terribly over-qualified, but she knew that if she really put her mind to it she could find a job that paid better than this one currently did.

Then they could properly get back on their feet again. Just the two of them…her and Emily.

She couldn't rely on anyone else to take care of them. Period. So Missy would have to make sure she was able to support them both, and that was how it would stay.

Emily looked up at her Mom, gaping a little.

"Waydee tak me to feed duks," she said in a quiet voice.

Missy smiled. "Is he now? Well we'll have to remember your mittens and your hat then won't we?" she uttered in a kindly voice, as she began to get Emily dressed.

Was all of this ok? Wade looking after her child when it should be Missy doing that? How she wished she could go with them today..to the park or wherever…

Missy thought back to the early hours of this morning when she had woken on Wade's couch, her head resting on his shoulder.

She had pulled herself up gently, trying not to wake him, before picking Emily up and heading back over to her own apartment and clambering into bed.

She knew she had already gotten too close to him, but she couldn't help herself.

She was so desperate to be close to him, to feel his strong arms around her, to breathe in that musky, cotton-candy scent that lingered around him…

Every thing he did drove her crazy. She wanted him….but more importantly she wanted to be _with_ him…

But all this…it was hard for her. To allow herself to open up as much as she already had…it was tough.

But she was frightened. Petrified even…of showing even the slightest hint of vulnerability. Especially after what had happened to them the last time.

It hurt her to even think about _that_ …

Missy and Emily were silent for the next ten minutes until the pair of them were finally stood before the front door.

The caramel-haired woman was trying to squeeze her wriggling daughter into her little red coat.

"There," she finally murmured, grasping up her own handbag as well as Emily's hat and mittens and popping them into a separate diaper bag. "You ready baby? Shall we go see if Wadey's up?"

Emily gave a nod, looking up at Missy.

"Wen wil yoo be home?" she asked in a tiny voice, placing her tiny digits into her mouth.

Missy gave a soft smile. "At four o'clock sweetie," she said stroking back Emily's little tuft of brown hair, currently tied up with a red bow. "It won't be long."

Emily made a little worried noise, causing Missy's heart to break, but she knew that there was nothing she could do.

Giving the smallest of internal sighs, Missy stood up straight and tugged open the door….

Only to find Wade Wilson stood on the other side, his hand raised aloft, as if he had been about to knock.

"Hey!" said Missy, a little surprised. She blinked a couple of times, staring up at him. He was today dressed jeans and a white t shirt with a black and white picture of a chicken with sunglasses on and thrown over the top was a grey hooded sweater.

"Hey," he replied, gazing at her with the strangest look upon his features, as if he was seeing her for the first time.

A short silence fell between them, as Missy felt her face flushing.

"We shee duks, Waydee?" came a sudden tiny voice from their feet.

The two of them instantly looked down.

"Well hey there, baby-girl," said Wade leaning down and scooping Emily up into his arms. "You want ducks, then we are gonna find you some ducks."

Missy worried at her lip, staring at the pair of them as Emily pressed a little wet kiss to Wade's stubby cheek.

Missy's heart thudded in her ribcage…feelings bubbling up inside her…feelings she was desperately trying to push away.

The more time she spent with him….saw him…spoke to him…fell asleep on him….the more she realised how hard she had fallen for him.

He stomach lurched as his eyes flickered up towards her once more.

Missy tore her own eye away, staring instantly down at the items in her hand.

"If you're taking her out, she'll need this," she said handing him over the stripy diaper bag. "Her mittens and her hat are in there, and there's also an extra couple of pull-ups and a change of clothes which will save you lending her your t shirts."

She looked up once more, as Wade gave a chuckle, peering into the pack.

"Oh and I've also put some snacks in there for her, in case she gets hungry, Oh, and a couple of microwave pouches of mac and cheese, she likes those, but you've got to wait for the cheese to properly cool first-"

Suddenly Wade placed his hand to her shoulder.

"Listen Yummy-Mommy," he said in that same old cheeky Wade Wilson tone. "We'll be fine. If I survived yesterday, I can survive anything."

Missy looked at him carefully.

"Well, you have my cell number if you need to call me," she said, watching as Wade jiggled Em in his strong arms, causing the toddler to giggle.

"Noted," he said turning back to her, his eyes flashing teasingly. "Now you should go, otherwise, YOU are gonna be late."

Missy rolled her eyes, hitching up her purse a little on her shoulder.

She took the hint.

"Okay, okay," she murmured, leaning forwards and pressing a quick kiss to Emily's head.

"So does this mean I get a goodbye kiss every morning, too?" Wade suddenly asked, grinning over at her.

But Missy tutted and turned away, before he could see her face redden.

"In your dreams," she said in a sarcastic tone, shaking her head and pulling closed her front door.

"Bye baby," she said turning back to the pair and stroking the top of Emily's head before strutting quickly away.

It hurt every time she had to leave Emily, but at least today she knew that the toddler was in, hopefully, good hands!

* * *

"Soooooo, what's your favourite colour?" asked Wade.

"Pwink," uttered Emily, staring up at him as he spoke.

"And what's your favourite drink?"

"Milk," replied the toddler once again.

"Damn, I was hoping you'd say Vodka," he said a sarcastic tone as Emily gazed at him.

They had had a great day so far.

Wade had made the little girl a second breakfast of pancakes, they had watched TV for about thirty minutes until Em had become bored and began to get fussy.

Neither Wade nor Missy had really thought any of this through... Emily had no toys of her own at Wade's, and Missy had locked her own apartment door shut. So Wade had somehow managed to keep the two-year old entertained by giving her some of his dusty old, collectors-edition action figures to play with, but within about twenty minutes, they _too_ had been abandoned, and the toddler had waddled about exploring the nooks and crannies of his apartment instead.

Although Wade had soon been forced to yelp out a 'Nope!' and pick the squirming girl up into his arms, after she had almost immediately come across a large cache of ammo, he kept in a low drawer.

He knew that he _really_ needed to start kid-proofing his apartment!

So now, after grabbing a little lunch of a grilled cheese (of which Emily had only eaten the middle of, leaving the crusts, smushing them into piles on the table) at a little diner Wade loved, the pair were now walking hand-in-hand through the park. The same park they had been to several weeks ago with Missy.

"What's youuuuur…..favourite food?" asked Wade, trying his hardest to engage Emily in conversation. But he had the feeling she found it difficult to hear him while they were walking, so he pulled her to a slow stop over by a large duck pond.

She thought for a second before answering.

"Chwolat?" she said, looking up at him. And Wade was certain it was more of a question than an answer.

He grinned.

She _really_ was just the cutest thing, wrapped up well in her coat, mittens and white bobble hat, and his heart swelled with pride as he thought of the idea of anyone seeing them together and presuming that she was his kid.

He could only dream of having anything in his life as amazing as this little girl…

He gave a sigh, crouching down beside her and following her gaze out across the pond.

Wade wondered if he was doing a good job. It was only day one and he had already exhausted all of his kid-amusing ideas.

He was going to have to goggle the fuck out of 'activities to keep kids entertained', later tonight…

"How abouuuuut…who's your favourite person?" he asked her, trying to get her attention back after a moment or two had passed.

Emily turned and looked at him, her face questioning.

Had she heard him? She wasn't usually this unresponsive.

He repeated his question, when her eyes were on him and she answered almost immediately.

"Mommy," she muttered in a quiet tone, causing Wade to chuckle.

He stopped for a moment, thinking.

"And how about your Daddy? You ever see him?" Is he your favourite too?" he asked in a light tone.

Wade knew he was probably over stepping the mark, but it was unlikely Missy would ever tell him anything about Emily's father…

"I don' havv a Daddy," said Emily shaking her head, looking straight at him. "Onwy a Mommy. 'Ovver chwildwen get Daddies but I don'."

Wade stared at her hard, her heart almost tearing two at her words. He wanted to reach out and take her in his arms but Em's attention was suddenly caught by a large duck waddling past.

"Ish Duk!" she said pointing at the nonchalant bird, strutting by. "Ish Duk, Waydee!"

Wade gave a smile and got to his feet, taking her by the tiny mittened paw.

Jesus Christ, he wished he could be there to be her Daddy. He wanted that more and more, with each and every day that passed.

But he couldn't force a relationship with Missy, he knew that.

But he could still do this…take care of her…take care of _both_ of them, as much as he possibly could…

Suddenly, he glanced down to see Emily pulling grilled cheese crust after grilled cheese crust from her pocket with her gloved hand, before holding them out towards the brown feathered duck.

Wade gave a laugh.

She _really_ was the cutest thing….

* * *

It wasn't long before the pair were headed home.

Emily had complained about being cold and so Wade had turned on his heel, coming back the way they had come.

They weren't that far from their apartment building before he heard a sudden voice calling his name from across the street.

Emily hadn't noticed, so he gave her a slight tug, pulling her to a stop as he turned to gaze around, staring over at a familiar face crossing the street towards him.

"Hey, I thought it was you," came the low drawl of Vanessa, the dark haired woman from Weasel's bar.

He knew that she worked at a strip-joint a block or two from here, so it was really no surprise that he should bump into her.

She smiled up at him with her pretty elfin features, before her gaze suddenly travelled down to where Emily was attached at the hand.

"Hey, cutie!" she said in a warm voice, but Emily hid almost instantly behind Wade's leg, going shy.

Wade grinned, glancing up at Vanessa.

"Nice to see you in the daylight for once," he said cheerily.

He in fact had never seen Vanessa anywhere but Sister Margaret's and the strip-joint.

She gave a chuckle. "Yeah, I know, weird right? I feel like Bella Swan," she said taking a step closer to him. "So, you babysitting?"

Wade nodded.

"Yeah, although _she_ is waaaaaay more of a responsible adult that _I_ am," she teased, trying to pull Emily out from behind him, but she refused to budge. "Aren't you Chicken Little?"

There came no response.

He let out a puff of air, his eyes meeting with Vanessa's once again, as her lips curved up into a wide grin.

"Listen," she said, moving another inch closer to him. "If you're free later, my shift finishes at eleven, if you wanted to….maybe…"

Wade stared at her for a moment as he trailed off.

I mean, Vanessa was nice….no, more than nice, hot and sexy and everything he should want in a woman…

And as far as Missy was concerned it was a no-go between them…she had made that clear.

But part of him couldn't help but waver slightly. If he met Vanessa tonight then that would mean that he and Missy would never be a thing...

But Missy had made it clear that she didn't want him. She had pushed him away and if Wade was honest...it hurt.

He gazed into Vanessa's dark eyes- that matched _his_ to perfection.

"Uhhhh….yeah, why not…" he said forcing a smile. No, _giving_ a smile.

He tried to relax a little.

Seeing Vanessa tonight….well, it would be good for him…

"Ok, then," she said flashing him a grin. "Well, I guess I'll see you tonight... big man."

And with that, she sauntered back off across the street, throwing the pair of them one last wave as she did so.

Wade gave a sigh, before glancing down at Emily...but to his surprise, Emily was already staring back up at him...

...an angry scowl plastered across her scrunched up, little face...

* * *

 **Thanks to jeffhardyluvsme, dancindonna, starrat, Legolas Girl 31, TheHappyKitty, avidfandomlover, jonstar1034, Momochan77, Smaug the golden, Carlypso and AngiMk for reviewing.**

 **Was that ok?**

 **Please review!**


	23. Chapter 23

Barely an hour had passed, but for the merc it had been one of the most difficult of his entire life.

Emily was in a foul little mood.

She had glared at him almost the entire way home, and had pulled herself from his grasp the moment he had tried to get near her to take off her tiny red coat, mittens or hat.

There had been barely any point anyway, because after a second to two of her detaching herself from his arms, Em had hidden behind his couch and tugged the articles off, flinging them to the floor angrily.

Wade had at first laughed it off, but as the minutes ticked by, it was obvious that he had a very, _very_ angry toddler on his hands.

"Hey, hey, hey," he muttered crouching down in front of her as she folded her arms across her tiny puffed out chest and scowled at him. "What's wrong, Baby Bear?"

But Emily just continued to stare him out, a furious look plastering itself across her features.

Was this because of Vanessa?

Wade frowned at her curiously, before letting out a puff of air, as she swiftly kicked him in the shin and ran off to hide underneath his dining table.

"Women…" he mumbled, getting to his feet.

He would leave her to cool off for a while he thought.

But as the afternoon slipped by, it seemed that Emily was not shaking her irritable mood.

Wade fixed her up one of the mac and cheese pouches that Missy had left for her, but to his dismay, she had refused to eat anything, trying to wriggle from the seat and out of his clutches the moment he drew near her.

Finally, after an age, catching her around the middle, he plonked her back down in front of the plate of food, picking up a forkful.

"Look…." he said lifting it to his own mouth and taking a bite of the gloopy orange tubes. "…yummy.." he uttered with his mouth full.

But Emily pursed her lips together hard, turning away from him every time the fork made it near her face.

"You gonna tell me what's wrong?" he asked, eventually giving up and tossing the fork down loudly, causing Emily's frown to deepen further.

If looks could kill, Wade would definitely be six-feet under right now.

But the toddler did not reply, she merely continued in her scowling as there came a knock on the door.

Wade checked the small cartoon watch at his wrist. Jeez was it really four o'clock already? Time really did fly by when you had a two-year old to take care of…

Wade strolled over to the door and tugged it open, to see Missy standing nervously on the other side.

He felt his heart begin to pound just that little bit faster, as usual..

She, as always, looked gorgeous, with those lovely green eyes…and amazing legs…and those soft, pink lips…

In fact, Wade was so lost in thought, he barely had the chance to say a word, as two little legs ran past him.

Missy gave a surprised look down at her feet, as Emily appeared, making grabby hands for her.

Missy quickly obliged the tiny girl, and lifted her up into her arms.

"Ohhh, Mommy missed you," said the caramel haired woman smiling gently and pressing three or four kisses to Emily's little cheek.

But to Wade's horror, Emily was still scowling and she suddenly pointed a chubby digit up towards him.

"Waydee tawk to laydee," she said accusingly, pressing her face close to her mother's. "Bat Waydee shupposs to onwy tawk to Mommy."

Missy gave a confused frown, staring at her daughter for a long moment, before slowly giving a chuckle.

"Baby, Wade can talk to whoever he wants," Missy said, stroking at Emily's little puffed out cheeks with her fingers.

"No Waydee tawk to laydee, an' he goin see 'er," said the toddler once again loudly, as if desperately trying to get the point across…. to make Missy understand.

The merc gave a sigh, scratching the back of his neck with his hand.

"She's talking about Vanessa," he declared, shuffling from foot to foot as he did so.

God, it hurt him to even tell her that…

Missy finally glanced his way and stopped suddenly, her smile faltering.

"O-Oh…that, uh...that's nice…" she said stuttering slightly. Her smile widened, but her eyes had a hint of something Wade couldn't quite read. "T-That's good."

 _Was_ it good?

Was this really what Wade wanted? To go, probably get wasted and end the night, going home with Vanessa?

The old Wade Wilson would have course gone for it. There was a hot little vixen pretty much offering him up sex on a plate.

But Wade didn't want that. He didn't want _her_ …

He wanted Missy…Jesus Christ, he wanted Missy. Big time.

All he had to do was look at her, standing right here in front of him to see that….

No. There is no way he was going out now. Not to meet Vanessa anyway. No, he had decided that he'd rather be alone right now than be with anyone but Missy.

Wade gave a reassuring smile.

"Yeah, but she wanted to meet me at eleven. Eleven?! I mean, do I look like a teenager? Nah, for me, it's in bed, with a milky drink and a good book by ten," he uttered, grinning down at the pair of them.

Missy brightened a little, biting on her lip, her eyes travelling up and down his face.

She and Emily really were everything he'd ever wanted and regardless of whether she thought he was good enough, he wanted to try and prove to her that he could be…maybe not now…but some day…he could be there to protect them from anything that came their way. Especially after they had obviously been _so_ let down in the past…

"Well maybe….. in that case…I mean, if you're not going out…." said Missy suddenly, trying to search for the words, her face flushing slightly. "….You, errr….you want to come over for dinner?"

Wade's heart stopped.

What had she just said?

Missy reddened further and she glanced over at Emily trying to distract herself. "I mean…only if you definitely weren't planning going out…I mean if you are…I just…well…you don't have to come over, it would just be chicken and vegetables.….I just thought…"

She trailed off as Emily clutched at Missy's cheek with her sticky paw.

"No, Jesus Christ, I want that….a lot!" said Wade, perhaps a little too enthusiastically. "I mean, I am a sucker for a girl who can cook…or a guy who can cook…..or maybe just chefs in general….."

Missy smiled, her shoulders relaxing a little, as she turned to face him fully.

"Ok…..well…cool," she said trying to rifle inside her bag for her keys, suddenly noticing Emily's face still scrunched up into an angry scowl. "Hey sweetie, what's that face for huh? Listen, shall we go make some dinner? You want some chicken?"

Emily gave a slow nod, jutting out her bottom lip, before turning her head towards Wade.

"An' Waydee, you shtay tonighh, yea?" she said in a firm little tone, causing both Missy and Wade to laugh.

He could see that Missy was cringing slightly, pursing her lips as she did so.

But Wade sucked in a breath.

"Only if you promise to share your chicken with me, Em-bear?" he said, raising an eyebrow towards the toddler.

And to the merc's utter delight, Emily's little mouth curved up into a smile and she let out a tiny giggle. The frown was _finally_ gone.

"Noh…" she said, chewing on her hand and clutching her arms around Missy's neck.

"Yes," teased Wade.

"Noh…" argued the two year old, as Missy shook her head and turned back over towards her own apartment.

"Yes…"

"Noh.."

"Yep,"

"Nohhhh, Waydee!" giggled Emily, holding out her chubby little arm and batting him on the shoulder.

"Hey, baby," said Missy in a stern tone, as she pulled out her keys and shoved open her front door. "We don't hit…"

Emily turned back to her mother and shook her head, causing her little red bow to wobble slightly.

"Sowwy…" she uttered in a quiet tone before turning around in Missy's arms once more and sticking her little pink tongue out at Wade.

The merc gave a chuckle, following the duo inside their clean, homely apartment.

"Hey, I've had waaaay worse than that, believe me," muttered Wade, closing the door with a snap behind him. "Like that time I got hit across the face by some seven foot-tall drag queen's size 13s."

Missy dropped Emily gently down onto the couch before removing her own chic raincoat.

She glanced up at Wade, smiling.

"So, you want a drink before you help me make dinner?" she asked in a teasing voice, as Emily stared up at the pair of them curiously.

Wade raised an eyebrow, taking a step towards the caramel-haired woman. "Before I help you make dinner, huh? I mean, I like your confidence, but-"

But Missy strutted past him, nudging him with her hip as she did so.

"Quit your complaining, mercenary," she said hanging up her coat before walking back past him and tugging on his sleeve. "Come on…"

She flashed him a look, which caused Wade to grin widely, the corners of his eyes wrinkling as he did so.

"Yes, Ma'am…" he replied, watching as Missy bent over the couch, picking up her wriggling daughter, before handing her to the merc.

"Good…" she murmured, batting her long eyelashes, before heading off into the kitchen.

Wade gave a small growl of longing as he watched her go.

* * *

Fifteen minutes later and the three of them were stood in the kitchen, Emily sat up on a kitchen counter beside Missy, watching her chop some vegetables.

Wade was busying himself by playing with the tiny toddler's sock covered feet, making her giggle intermittently.

"So have you forgiven me?" he asked the little girl as she squirmed out of reach, letting out a little cackle of joy.

She stared up into his long stubby face, making a grab for it finally.

"Noh Waydee….naw you onwy tawk to Mommy," she said in a bossy voice. "Waydee kissh Mommy."

A foot or so away, Missy gave a laugh.

"Now baby, you can't go around telling people what to do," she said shaking her head.

But Emily gave a scolding little frown. "But Waydee mai favwit and Mommy mai favwit," she said pouting slightly. "Waydee and Mommy vamires!"

This time it was Wade's turn to laugh.

"Wow, I've had an upgrade to favourite? That's it. Life. Made," he said clutching at his heart.

* * *

It was seven thirty by the time the three had them had plated up, eaten, done the dishes (with a sudsy battle commencing between the two adults, causing Emily to shriek with laughter as Wade got an enormous pile of soap bubbles down his long nose), even watched a bit of TV, before it was time for Emily to take a bath and go to bed.

Missy had then disappeared off for twenty minutes, before peeking her head back around the door of the living room eventually.

"Uh… she's asking if you can come say goodnight to her," said the caramel-haired woman in a quiet voice, her green eyes meeting with his.

Wade, who had been sitting on Missy's couch, flipping through the TV channels lazily, gave a wide-smile and got to his feet with a sigh.

"What can I say?" he said giving a stretch and flexing his large biceps as he did so. "Women just love me…"

Missy rolled her eye as he slipped past her, strolling into Emily's room.

The tiny toddler was tucked up in bed, in little pink pyjamas with pigs on the sleeves, she gave Wade a little wave as he approached her.

"Waydee, I say guddnighh," she uttered, making grabby hands for him.

The merc slowly lowered himself down onto the bed beside the toddler, as Missy stood in the doorway watching the pair of them.

"Night Chicken-Little," he said in a soothing voice. "See you in the morning."

And with that, he leaned forwards, allowing her to grab at his cheeks with her pudgy little hands and press a sticky little kiss to his nose.

Almost immediately she let out a yawn, her mouth forming into an almost perfect O-shape as she let go. Her eyes blinking shut.

"Waydee shtay tonighh, yea?" she murmured, her breathing becoming rhythmic and her eyelashes fluttering closed.

Wade grinned, pulling the blankets up towards her chin and tucking her snugly in.

Jeez, he loved her.

He didn't care that she wasn't his. Right now, his heart swelled with pride at even the littlest things she did.

Letting out an internal sigh, he got to his feet and turned around to find _Missy_ behind him.

She had moved away from the door, and was now stood just an inch or two from him…

His breath caught slightly in his throat as he stared down at her…perfection in human form…

But she didn't say anything...

She just stared at him, the tiniest of frown lines lingering between her brows, her look questioning, searching his face….for something….

Wade's breathing shallowed as she lifted a hand to his chest, her fingers curling around the fabric of his grey hooded sweatshirt.

Wade's lips parted slightly, as his eyes travelled down to _hers_ …all pink and soft, and moving slowly towards him…

And with that…..

….she kissed him.

Soft and gentle… and Wade could barely help the hand that snaked its way around her waist.

Jesus Christ, he wanted her. And as her lips moved against his, he could think of no one in the world he would rather be with right now…

It must have only lasted for a second or two, before Missy tugged herself from him, biting her lip and looking flushed.

Her eyes dropped to the floor and she took a step back, but much to Wade's surprise… she was smiling.

Her eyes travelled slowly back up to his face once more.

"You wanna go watch some TV or something?" she asked him in a whisper, making sure to not wake the, now sleeping, Emily.

Wade beamed before he could stop himself, giving a nod.

"As long as I can pick the show…." he said cheekily. "I'm thinking we binge-watch Game of Thrones, I mean you only have an _entire_ six seasons to catch up on."

Missy rolled her eyes giving a small laugh as Wade strutted past her, back into the living room, before she pulled the door to Emily's room, tightly shut behind her...

* * *

 **Was that ok?**

 **Thanks to petite-yoyo, Ranging Raven, Legolas Girl 31, Smaug the golden, jonstar1034, Momochan77, TheHappyKitty, dancindonna, AngiMK and Guest for reviewing the last chapter.**

 **I'm not American but I hope you all have a lovely thanksgiving (And enjoy the weekend!). Oh, and let me know what you thought about this chapter! :)**

 **Please review**


	24. Chapter 24

The days drifted by, with things getting more and more stressful at work for Missy. The company she worked for had just announced their profits for this year were extremely low, far lower than they had predicted. She knew that job losses were imminent and that she was likely to be the first to go…but despite all this, her mind was not dwelling too much on these problems…

At home, she had had just the loveliest week.

Since their kiss, of which neither she nor Wade had spoken about, the two adults, and Emily, had become pretty much inseparable.

Missy would get Emily up and dressed in the mornings, before taking her across the hallway to Wade's, where she would sit and grab a quick cup of coffee and have a talk to the (usually half-naked) merc, before heading off to work.

Wade kept her entertained all day by forwarding her photos of himself and the two-year old, and by the time Missy got home later that evening, she was always met with lots of cuddles from her excitable and happy daughter. That alone, put a smile on her face.

But it was the time they shared _after_ that, each evening, which was what Missy (and Wade and Em) enjoyed the most.

The three of them together would cook dinner, do the washing up, play games and watch cartoons before the two adults would put the toddler to bed. It was then and only then, would both Missy and Wade fall quiet, head back into the living room together and collapse back onto the couch.

They would always find themselves sitting close, their hands touching, but only briefly. Then they would put something on the TV, which Missy would, if truth be told, barely watch. She was more concerned with Wade's close proximity than anything else.

She had not been able to keep her mind off their kiss… She didn't know why she had done it, but knew that it felt good. Amazing in fact.

But knew that that _had_ to be it….

She couldn't do this, not really.

Missy and Emily had thought they had been part of family once before and had been mistaken. What would made this, or indeed Wade, so different?

No, it was best if they just stayed friends…

That way, neither she, nor her daughter, couldn't get hurt again…. like they had once before.

But despite all this, Missy had had the most lovely week. Both she and Emily were happier than they had been in a long time and that was all down to one person…

"Missy, can you get those papers to me by Tuesday?" came a sudden voice, breaking Missy from her daze.

She was currently sat at her desk at work, staring out of the window at the ever-darkening sky.

She shook herself and looked over to see one of her bosses Mike staring down at her, a bemused expression on his face.

"Sorry," she said immediately. "The Francis Papers? Of course."

And with that she rifled through her out-tray, pulling out a neat stack of copies and handing them to him.

"Actually I'm already done with them," she uttered, tucking her curled, caramel-blonde hair behind her ear.

Mike, who was in his late thirties, with dark hair and perfect teeth, flashed her a dazzling smile, looking at her coyly.

"Wow, y'know if this is the kind of work you produce when you're THAT distracted, then you're definitely someone I could do with on my team," he said giving a laugh, and thumbing his way through the stack of papers.

Missy took a breath and clicked her mouse, turning back to her PC, flushing red.

Oh god, being caught procrastinating instead of working, was really not going to help her keep her job.

"Don't worry," said Mike, giving a chuckle and placing his hand on her shoulder. "I'm not going to judge you, it's a Friday anyway. TGIF right?"

Missy breathed an internal sigh of relief, glancing up at him and giving him a relieved smile. "Yeah. You…. uh, you doing anything nice this weekend?" she murmured, trying to seem interested.

But Mike's eyes roved across her face. He bit his lip and narrowed his eyes.

"You know…." he began slowly. "I was wondering if maybe you wanted to grab a drink…tomorrow night. There's this amazing sushi bar on forth that's supposed to serve just THE best Sake…"

Missy froze, staring up into his handsome face.

What had he just said?

Had he really just asked her on a date?

He was her boss….would she get into trouble for saying no?

"I…err…" started Missy, glancing around momentarily, trying to search for the right words. "I have my daughter…so it's kind of difficult for me to get away, y'know…"

She gave him an apologetic smile, but Mike cocked his head at her.

"Can't you get a sitter?" he asked giving a frown.

Jeez, he really didn't give up did he?

This was not what she wanted in the workplace. I mean Mike seemed nice, but he was her boss, and as far as she was concerned this was a professional relationship and nothing else.

Missy flushed red. "I…um….look, I'm really flattered-"

But at her words, Mike's slight frown became a scowl.

He let out a loud scoff, acting suddenly defensive.

"Look, sweetheart, you realise I could get a girl like you, just like that?" he snapped his fingers in front of her face. He took a step back, sneering down at her. "You're nothing special, y'know. I just thought I was doing you a favour. I felt sorry for you. As if I'm going to go after a woman who already has a kid, anyway…"

And with that, he turned angrily on his heel and walked off, papers shoved underneath his arm. And Missy could have sworn she heard him utter the words _'fucking bitch'_ under his breath as he went.

Missy sat there shocked for a moment or two, blinking.

She felt like she wanted to burst into tears.

This place was bad enough already, but now she had a boss who was now mad at her for turning down his advances.

She knew that if _he_ was in charge, she would definitely be the first to be fired…

A horrible feeling of dread bubbled up inside her. How was she going to cope without a job?

Here it was, that downward spiral….she could almost sense it drawing nearer and nearer…

Suddenly a reminder flashed up on the screen of her PC.

It was home time. 3.15. Time for her to leave.

She breathed a sigh of relief. It was over….until tomorrow at least.

Despite Missy being only a part-timer, she still managed to do more work that most of her team put together, but every day she could still feel their resentful glares as she passed by them at this time, heading home.

And today was no different…

Perhaps made worse by the fact, that as she pulled on her coat and headed over towards the elevators, she could see Mike standing over by the copier, talking in whispers to a small group of men and women. They made no bones about staring at her as she walked by, stopping abruptly in their conversation.

Missy paled.

This was more like high school than an office, and even in high school she hadn't been _this_ unpopular…

She closed her eyes as she stepped into the elevator, feeling like she just wanted to curl up into a ball and cry.

Missy always tried to be this strong woman, this strong mother, and yet today, she felt like anything but strong…

The elevator pinged open and Missy stepped out on her high heels….

But to her surprise… _no_ , to her utter delight….she was met with a little happy giggle and saw a tiny little figure come running towards her on chubby little legs….

Missy tilted her head, looking down to see Emily rushing forwards, and it didn't take more than a second for Missy to scoop the tiny toddler up into her arms, giving her a cuddle.

"Hi baby!" she said pressing a kiss to her little cheek. "What are you doing here?"

Missy looked up to see Wade sat on the low couches beside reception, grinning widely. He was today dressed in his heepskin coat, blue jeans and vest, looking every inch the lovable-rogue that he was…

Missy at this moment felt her heart leap in her chest as she saw him. Right now she wanted nothing more than for him to take her in his strong arms and hold her tightly.

Wade got to his feet stiffly and strolled over to her.

"Hey, baby-momma," he said in a cheery voice. "We just thought we'd come down here and walk you home."

Missy smiled widely at him, her green eyes meeting with his brown ones.

How was he able to make her feel this much better with just a few small words?

Her eyes lingered on his for a moment or two, her heart racing, before she tore them away once again turning back to Emily.

The little girl, who was today dressed in her fluffy white coat and matching hat and mittens, grasped at the collar of Missy's blouse, giving it a tug.

"Oh, Mommy missed you, sweetie," Missy said, pressing another kiss to her daughter's pudgy cheek.

Emily laughed and batted her mom away with her paw.

"Noh more kisshes Mommy," she said poking out her little pink tongue and wrinkling her nose.

Missy raised her eyebrows playfully.

"What? No kisses like this one?" and with that she kissed at Emily's nose. "Or this one? Or this one?"

Emily giggled, squirming within Missy's grasp as her mother peppered her with kisses.

"Stwop it Mommy!" said the two-year old, with a happy squeal.

Suddenly there came a loud, curt ahem from over Missy's shoulder, breaking them from their fun.

She turned to see the two receptionists sitting behind their desk looking over at her disapprovingly. As though Missy was disturbing the peace.

Missy gave an small defeated sigh.

"Come on, baby," she said, hitching up her bag higher on her shoulder. "Let's go."

She looked at Wade, and he, almost immediately, headed over towards the large glass front door's, holding them open for her and Emily to pass through.

"Well aren't those two just a fucking delight," said Wade in her ear as she passed close by him, throwing a dark look over towards the two women.

"Ugh" said Missy running a hand over her face as they stepped out into the, surprisingly warm, spring air. "I hate working here. If I'm not getting hit-on by my sleazy boss, I'm getting dirty looks from everyone else…"

Wade looked at her, matching her pace as they walked side-by-side down the busy street.

"Getting hit on?" he said narrowing his eyes, his face serous. "Fuck me, just say the word and I will rip his fucking balls off if you want me to, unless it's a woma of course, in which case I am sooooooo up for seeing how that pans out for you…"

Missy pursed her lips and glanced Wade's way.

"Well it's the former. And as tempting as that offer sounds, I think I'll have to just survive," she murmured. "It's just…I hate being away from Emily enough as it is, without dreading going to work too….ugh…"

She gave another despondent sigh.

"Sorry," she continued wrinkling her nose. "I'm just feeling kinda crappy today, I guess."

"Well I can fucking see why," said Wade, his tone sharp and accusing. "You know, my offer still stands…anytime… .off…done…"

Missy's face broke into a smile.

"Thanks…" she said shaking her head. She looked up into Wade's long, tanned face. "So, you two had a good day?"

She wanted to change the subject. Take her mind off work for once.

Emily gave a wriggle and Missy stopped for a second setting her down and taking her little gloved hand instead.

"Well we watched Anna and Elsa 'Let their shit Go' like four times in a row," said Wade counting it off on his fingers. "And _then_ we ate chicken and rice for lunch, with cholate pudding for dessert, and _then_ came here to meet you. Didn't we Em-Bear?"

But Emily, who was padding along beside the two adults, didn't seem to hear him, her eyes on the pavement before her.

Missy shot Wade a teasing look. "Sounds thrilling," she said with a smirk.

"Oh believe me, I've had waaaay more tedious days than this one," he uttered, grinning back at her.

Missy looked away, butterflies appearing in her stomach.

How did he always do this to her?

"Hey," she said suddenly glancing across the road, something catching her eye. She stopped in her tracks, pulling Emily to gentle halt. "Since I have had suuuuch a terrible day….do you both want to do something fun?"

Emily peered up at her mother curiously.

But Missy bit her lip, grasping Wade's hand suddenly in her other free one.

She shot the pair a smile.

"Come on…" and with that she pulled them across the street, towards a large building, with _'Jimmy's Games Arcade'_ written across the front in large cartoon letters.

She heard Wade beside her give a chuckle.

"You realise I am _sooooo_ going to kick your perfectly-round ass at skee-ball right?" he said in a cocky tone as they entered through the door into the darkened arcade.

But Missy merely shot him a withering look.

"Don't be so sure about that, mercenary," she said, letting go of his hand and bumping her shoulder with his, flashing him a wide smile.

Wade smiled back, before bending down and lifting Emily up into his arms.

The toddler looked around interestedly, placing her tiny mittened paws onto Wade's broad shoulders.

"Waydee play?" she asked him, looking back and forth between the two adults, as the trio strolled over towards a row of skee-ball games.

The merc gave a chuckle, crouching down and picking up a small white ball confidently.

And in the blink of an eye Wade had tossed the ball hard, scoring a neat 10,000 points.

"Oh, Wadey play," he said giving her a goading nod and tossing her another white ball.

Missy rolled her eyes and caught the ball easily.

"You are on Wilson," she said, throwing the ball and scoring 10,000 points too.

* * *

Two hours later, out of change and very much out of energy, the three of them crossed the street, heading around the block, back towards their apartment building.

Emily had had a great time, running about on the patterned, moth-eaten carpet, pressing all the buttons on unattended machines.

Wade had even lifted her up onto the car seat of a racing game, moving it from side to side which she adored, giggling happily.

Missy had watched the pair of them, her heart filling with so much love.

He was just perfect with her. Just so perfect.

And now, as they walked down the darkening sidewalk, Missy could help but stare the merc's way, as they went, teasing each other along the way…

"Did not," said Wade in an incredulous voice.

"Did too," said Missy chuckling and digging him in the shoulder with her perfectly polished fingernail. "Y'know I've never seen anyone get beaten so badly at a dance machine before. That twelve year old girl absolutely killed you."

Wade scoffed. "Oh, she was thirteen if you must know, and besides…I was….distracted…"

Missy smirked, shooting him a look. In her arms she was holding onto a sleepy Emily tightly, as the tiny girl dozed against her shoulder.

"Oh yeah?" she said biting on her pink lip. "Distracted by what?"

Wade looked at her for a long moment, his lips curving up into a grin, but he didn't reply. His look really _did_ say it all.

Missy could feel herself flushing red, as her heart thudded inside her chest.

They passed by a couple of small cafés, a restaurant and a piano store, and as Missy glanced over at the brightly lit-windows, trying to hide her pink face from the merc's stares, something caught her eye, causing her to stop abruptly.

Missy's breath hitched in her throat painfully and her mouth fell open…

No, no, no….

Not here…

Not now…

Her eyes seemed to widen in their sockets at the sight before her…

Please no….

Missy could feel herself suddenly begin to tremble, tears welling inside her eyes…

Finally noticing that she wasn't beside him any longer, Wade stopped, himself, turning back towards her with a bemused expression upon his face.

"What the-" he uttered strolling back over to her. "What is it?"

She felt him follow her gaze over to a large glass fronted restaurant.

And just inside the warmly lit Italian restaurant, was where HE was…

Scott….

After all this time…

But seeing him….well, that wasn't the problem….

But it was _them_.

Seeing _them_ that hurt the most…

That made her want to turn and scream and run and hide and cry, all at the same time.

Seeing…. _that_ ….well, it made her feel small…like she was worthless….like she wasn't good enough…

….well, she _hadn't_ been, after all…..neither of them had. She _nor_ Emily…

Tears slipped down her pale cheeks.

Missy remembered all of it, the pain of it all stabbing through her like a knife…

She couldn't deal with this…not now…

She took a step back and another and another…

And then, without another word, Missy turned on her heel and fled…Emily still clutched tightly within her arms…

* * *

 **Thanks to The HappyKitty, dancindonna, Aishix XV, jonstar1034, Legolas Girl 31, Just2aw3s0me, petite yoyo, Smaug The Golden, Momochan77, Carlypso, Guest, Raging Raven, AngiMK and SweetIronySince1997 for reviewing the last chapter. I am so grateful for all of your comments.**

 **What did you think of this one? Hmmm? More coming soon!**

 **Please review**


	25. Chapter 25

Missy's high-heels pounded the sidewalk.

She could barely make out where she was going through her tears, as they slipped down her cheeks.

Her hands were wrapped tightly around Emily as she ran, wanting to keep her close. No, _needing_ to keep her close.

She loved her so dearly. With all her heart. To her, she was the most perfect little thing she'd ever seen…

Missy turned a corner sharply. This street was unfamiliar to her and yet she kept on walking.

She didn't know where to…

Home?

Someplace else?

Right now she didn't care…

She just wanted to get as far away from _them_ as possible.

After eighteen months of struggle….of pushing herself….of getting herself back onto her feet….she felt like seeing them had been like a sharp kick to the stomach…

All she wanted was to keep Emily safe…

To hold her in her arms…

To protect her…with her life…

But unfortunately for Missy, those hopes were currently crumbling around her, as she wiped at her eyes, stopping in her tacks and gazing around.

She found herself in a dingy looking alleyway. Dark and gloomy with an upturned trash can littering the path before them.

She hadn't even realised where she had been walking to…

Missy stopped, shaking herself and made to turn around, clutching her daughter tightly, but as she did so, a sudden figure stepped out of the shadows.

It was a man….or rather a kid, barely older than nineteen…with a pale, gaunt skin; beady eyes; and a black hood thrown over his shaved head.

He took a step closer to them as Missy backed up, stumbling slightly on her heels.

Fuck…

The kid didn't say anything, his, almost black, eyes locked onto her, but Missy suddenly paled in horror as he pulled a knife from his pocket, brandishing it towards her.

"Gimmee your fucking purse," he said in a hoarse voice, advancing on her menacingly.

Missy took another step backwards as Emily suddenly stirred in her arms, giving a yawn. "Mommy, wher we?"

But Missy didn't answer, her heart hammering inside her ribcage.

The kid scowled.

"Fucking hurry up and give me your purse," he snarled viciously. "Now. Or I'll fuck up you _and_ your fucking kid."

He inched towards her, holding the knife out in front of him, it's steely blade, glinting in the dim light of the alleyway.

Missy gave a hard gulp.

Oh god…what had she done? She was so stupid.

This was all her fault!

Shifting Emily in her arms, Missy trying to free her shoulder from her handbag, the toddler suddenly turned around, her little eyes landing on the kid….and his knife.

"Hurry the _fuck_ up!" said the man, twitching uneasily. Missy could hear in his voice that he was getting impatient and very angry. "And shut her up while you're at it. Or I will!"

Missy trembled, dropping her purse to the ground with a thud and taking a couple of swift steps away.

"It's ok, it's ok, everything will be alright…" she whispered comfortingly into her daughters tiny ear, praying to god that she was right.

But the man instantly grasped at the bag and emptied the contents out onto the ground.

He rifled through the pile of fruit roll ups, baby wipes, spare pull-up diaper, leggings with giraffes on…his face twisting into an angry scowl as he snatched up Missy's cell phone and pulled open her wallet.

Missy had no cash, she never did. At the moment everything she paid for, went on credit cards.

But this was _not_ what the man wanted to see.

He got to his feet, standing up tall, as Emily wailed loudly, her cries echoing through the dark alleyway.

"Where's your cash?" he yelled loudly over the screaming toddler.

But Missy stood still, frozen like a rabbit in the headlights.

"Where's your fucking cash you stupid fucking bitch!" he said jabbing the knife towards her.

But before the blade could reach either her, or Emily, the man was thrown backwards by a sudden hand grabbing his throat.

The knife fell to the ground with a clatter and Missy sprung back a few steps, terrified.

Emily continued to wail as Missy gave a blink, looking up to see the furious figure of Wade Wilson, stalking out of the shadows.

He looked tall, frightening and more intimidating than Missy had ever seen him. And it was now that she could finally see him as a mercenary.

Up until this point, she had found it hard to believe that a lovable, funny guy like Wade could ever do a job like _that_.

But right now she could…oh, most definitely…

His jaw was tensed and his eyes black and angry.

In Missy's arms Emily gave a sudden whine of fright, and at this, Wade let out an instinctive growl.

His grip seemed to tighten on the kid's neck as he shoved him hard against the wall behind him.

Missy heard the impact of his thin body against the hard brick.

But Wade was unrelenting and pressed himself up against the boy, his shoulders broad and looming.

"Oh, I never thought I'd ever quote Crocodile Dundee," said the merc, baring his teeth, his lips lingering close to the kid's face as he retracted Missy's cell phone from his tight white knuckles. "But I guess there's a time and a place for everything…..Ok, here goes…..'You think THAT's a knife'?"

Wade glanced over his shoulder to where the man's steel blade lay across the cold ground a few feet away from them.

"No. THIS is a kni- well, actually…," he continued, turning his long face back towards the thug. "... _this_ is a gun."

And with that, the merc pulled out a large, menacing gun from the back of his pants.

Had he been carrying that the entire time?

"Now this," said Wade proudly, clicking off the safety and staring straight across the barrel of his gun. "...is a Para-Ordnance P14. 45 , nice and weighty if you like that sort of thing. Served me well for….ooooh a good few years now….but poor thing hasn't really seen much action lately…"

The kid let out a whimper as Wade casually pointed the gun at his cheek.

"…you think we should change that?"

The weedy guy, shook his head.

"N-No, no Sir," he said with a stutter.

But Wade's jaw was set, his playful demeanor disappearing as he grabbed the kid roughly by the face.

Right now Wade was terrifying.

"You fucking EVER, go near these two gorgeous fucking angels, or in fact, anyone else again, and I will make sure there is not a fucking _piece_ of you left in existence, by the time I'm finished with you. You understand me?" uttered Wade, his voice dark and deadly.

The man let out a cry as Wade drew his face nearer, shoving the gun harder into the man's cheek.

"Yes, YES, I do…I understand!" said the kid, tears streaming down his face, his legs visibly shaking beneath him.

Wade, seemingly satisfied with his response, let him slip from his grasp for just a second, before changing his mind and making one more grab for the kid's lapels, tugging him back around to face him.

The man gave a sharp shout of fear, petrified, as Wade let out a growl.

"On second thoughts, you fucking threatened the two people I care about most in the entire world" he said, his jaw tensing once more. "And if that doesn't deserve at least a fucking knee-capping, I don't know what does-"

And with that, Wade lowered his gun, pointing it down towards the man's legs…

"Stop!" cried Missy suddenly from behind him, her heart thundering in her chest and her eyes wide.

Wade turned his head to look at her, his chocolate eyes meeting with her own.

She stood there for a second, stroking the top of the still-wailing Emily's head, and titled her own face pleadingly.

He didn't have to do this.

Not for them.

And within that look, Wade instantly understood.

He turned back to the kid and shoved him away forcefully, and before they could blink, the kid had run off, as fast as his legs could possibly carry him, leaving the blade still lying on the ground.

Wade stopped for a moment or two, facing away, before finally, after what felt like an age, turning back around.

Emily was still sobbing quietly into Missy's arms but Missy was staring directly ahead at the merc.

At this man…who she loved…oh so much…

She blinked up at him a couple of times as he stood there, guilt plastering itself across his features.

Wade tucked his gun swiftly back down his pants, his brown eyes softening as he gazed back at her.

Missy, right now could think of nothing she wanted more, than for him to grab them both and hold them in his strong arms….

"Wade…" she murmured, her heart pounding. She longed for him right now."…can you take us home?"

The merc before her, instantly nodded and approached them carefully, the expression on his face nervous.

But before he could say anything, Missy had reached out and grasped his arm tightly.

She threw him a look and the three of them began to walk swiftly home, her hand slipping down his arm, until their fingers met, interlocking…..as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

There was something Missy needed to explain to him…

* * *

 **Thanks so much to Welisarne, Guest (sorry you feel that way!), jonstar1034, Legolas Girl 31, petite-yoyo, RangingRaven, Smaug The Golden, Momochan77, tallon2692, MissHomes and Carlypso for reviewing the last chapter.**

 **So…was that ok? More will *hopefully* follow soon…**

 **Please review :)**


	26. Chapter 26

Missy pushed open the door to her tiny apartment.

Emily had long since calmed down, her tears subsiding, and had since gone to sleep against Missy's shoulder once again.

Things like this, well, they were too much for someone as little as her to comprehend. Even Missy, at thirty struggled to take in what had just happened to them.

But right now none of that was important. _That_ was done.

But there was something else lingering on Missy's mind.

Of what she had seen tonight…inside the window of that little Italian restaurant…

She flicked on the light and strode across the room on her high heels, placing Emily gently down onto the couch.

The little girl murmured something lightly, before snuggling into a cushion and becoming still once again

Missy stared down at her tiny daughter...

She was so beautiful , Missy knew that nothing, or no one, would change how much she loved or cared for her.

She gave a difficult gulp, pausing for beat or two.

Missy knew that Wade was just a few feet behind her, standing there, saying nothing…waiting for her to speak.

But this was hardest. To admit what had happened to her. What had happened to _them, all that time ago…._

"Did you see them?" she asked, her voice cutting through the silent room, like a knife.

Her tone was shaky, but she tried to steady it as much as she could. She knew she mustn't cry.

Wade took a step towards her. She could hear his footfall on the wooden floorboards.

"No, I-" he began, but Missy cut across him.

She turned on the spot gazing at the merc with large green eyes. In her hands she scrunched the sleeves of her coat anxiously.

"My ex-boyfriend Scott was there, i-in that restaurant we went by," she said, talking too quickly. She could hear herself, becoming stressed and scared. But why? All of this was in the past. But it still seemed to hurt her, more than she could say…

Missy took a small step away from the couch, her head bowing slightly, her eyes dropping to the floor.

She couldn't look at Wade.

She was ashamed…embarrassed…

She had only told one person, her aunt, about what had happened…so all this…it was like reliving those memories again…those hard to swallow memories.

"…we were together for four years…." she explained, her voice breaking slightly. "…and we were in love, like _crazy_ in love. We had this tiny little apartment above a laundromat, which constantly smelled like fabric softener…"

Missy smiled to herself, those tiniest of memories flooding back to her…

"….I'd had boyfriends in college but this was different, it just felt special. Real…like it was going to be a forever thing, y'know?"

Missy took a breath, a lump forming in her throat.

"….we hadn't been trying for a baby, but when I started feeling tired, like _all_ the time, Scott came with me to the doctors. W-We thought it might have been stress or the flu….but when the doctor told me I was pregnant ….and well, we talked about it and decided that this was something that we've always wanted. A family…"

Missy pursed her lips. But she still couldn't look at Wade…

"…t-then the time came… and t-there was Emily….and she was just the most beautiful baby I've ever seen. She had these amazing green eyes and this cute little nose that wrinkled when she cried. She looked like me, and like Scott….both of us…..just…just _perfect."_

Tears welled in Missy's eyes as she remembered.

"….and then….one day, she just started crying…and s-she wouldn't stop…at night, during her feeds, when you tried to play with her, hold her…it wasn't only that, but she didn't reacted to her name like other children her age, other babies….she didn't gabble, or laugh….and she didn't smile….and when we went to post-natal classes and met all the other parents with all the other babies…..I think…well, I think that was when it changed…"

Missy paced on her high heels.

"…b-but she was our baby, y'know? I mean you've seen her…she's beautiful …" Missy uttered frustratingly, her hands trembling. She felt angry, bitter…feelings rising up after all this time. "…so we went to the doctors…and they did a few tests….and _that_ was when they told us she was partially deaf…"

Missy gave a shaky puff of air.

"….and I think that was the moment that Scott realised that he was never going to have a child that was just like all the other babies….that it would take a bit more of an effort to take care of her….but not to love her," said Missy shaking her head. "….it wouldn't have taken more to love her…"

Finally Missy looked up into Wade's eyes.

The merc was staring back at her, silent, unmoving…

A single frown line lingered between his chocolate eyes.

"…..I think, well, _after that_ , it was only a matter of weeks…." said Missy giving a shrug, a tear slipping down her cheek. "….one day I came home from the grocery store to find Emily in the bedroom crying her eyes out…she looked like she'd been crying for hours….b-but Scott was just sat on the couch with his head in his hands…I-"

Missy gave a gulp, her eyes flickering to her feet, watching her own tears splash against the dark floorboards.

"….so I changed her and put her back to sleep in her cot, a-and by the time I went in to the living room….I was ready to yell at him, right?" she murmured, looking back up at Wade. "…b-but I remember, Scott just got to his feet and looked at me and told me that he didn't love me anymore…"

She gave uncontrollable sob, clutching a hand to her mouth.

"…that he didn't love either of us….."

Missy looked up at the ceiling as tears slid down her powdered cheeks.

She gave a sniff.

"….he said that _we_ weren't what he wanted, and that he had never imagined his child being like _that_ …. being like _Emily_ ….a-and so he packed his bags and left…just like that….and everything we'd built together….our life….it was just…..over."

She paused, wiping at her eyes with her hand.

"…..I-I couldn't pay rent on my own….and I just….I couldn't cope….so I took Emily and like a case full of things and went down to Florida where my Aunt lives…I blamed him for leaving us….I just thought he was a jerk…an asshole..."

Missy paused.

"B-But it wasn't until I went online, maybe two or three months later, and found out that Scott was dating someone else….and only a two months after _that_ , that she was pregnant and he'd asked her to marry him. So that's when I figured out that maybe _we_ the problem…maybe _we_ had just never been good enough….maybe we never would be."

Missy gave another sniff, sweeping away the tears from her cheeks, before forcing a smile.

"….so yeah um….. _that's_ who I saw in that restaurant earlier…." she uttered, giving a nod, trying to compose herself. "Scott and his new family. H-He looked happy."

Missy looked at Wade.

"I heard from a mutual friend that they had a baby girl a-a-and that her name was…well, it was Emma."

She closed her eyes for a second or two before opening them again, that smile still lingering on her lips.

But it was a sad smile, full of hurt and pain….everything Missy had hoped was long gone from her life…

"Seeing them there tonight…." she admitted. "I just…..it was just a reminder that we were never good enough…..Scott gave us up for another shot at a family. A perfect family. And he got that…..with _them_. Not with us."

Missy gulped, her heart hurting.

"It was just a reminder that we'll never be-" Missy paused, for the slightest of seconds taking in a deep breath. Finally coming to her conclusion. "That we'll never be good enough."

Behind her, Emily stirred suddenly, causing Missy to turn around, concerned about the thing she loved most in this entire world. But the toddler merely smacked her lips a couple of times before drifting back off to sleep.

But before Missy could turn around, once again, she felt a sudden hand on her chin.

She gazed around, to see that Wade had closed the gap between them.

The merc's eyes were steely and fixed, and that frown was still there…

"You're fucking good enough for me…" he said, in a what was merely a whisper. "Both of you…"

But Missy shook her head.

She knew that truth….he would only leave them in the end.

After Scott…well, how could she _ever_ trust anyone else?

"Why would you even want us, Wade?" asked Missy tilting her head to the side…tears pricking once again at her eyes.

She looked at him. This guy. This amazing guy. And knew just how much it would hurt….how much it would scar her when _he_ left too….

Evenatually Wade would see them the way that Scott had seen them….

But Wade's frown seemed to deepen suddenly.

"Why would I want you?!" he asked exasperatedly, his hand sliding from her chin to the back of her neck, his fingers caressing her skin.

"All my fucking life, all I've wanted is a shot at something good, and after all these years I thought that that was never gonna happen. That _this_ was the life I was always gonna have…. and then I met you….that day out there in the hallway. And you were perfect…both of you," said the merc, with nothing but honesty in his voice, his chocolate eyes boring into hers. "I mean _waaay_ too perfect for me, and I know that I'll probably fuck it up in some way, down the line, and maybe I already have…but don't you ever fucking dare think that I wouldn't want you. Because, both of you….you're more than I could ever dream of having…..you're fucking perfection."

Missy stopped, her breath catching in her throat as she stared at him.

This man…who had protected her…had protected Emily too…

That wanted her, just as much as she wanted him…

But inside her heart was pounding. She was terrified of falling for him…to let him break her heart.

But Wade, lifted his other hand to her cheek, running a thumb across her tear tracks.

"Like I told you back then….all those fucking weeks ago…." he said frowning deeply, and giving his head a shake. "I'm fucking crazy about the two of you..."

Missy breathed hard…

And for the first time in months, almost years….she finally felt like she was part of something. Part of her own perfect family….

Her, Emily…..and Wade Wilson.

"….and don't you ever, EVER think I'm going to let you down….because I'll fucking die before that happens, I can fucking promise you that…" uttered Wade his voice honest and firm. "I'm fucking in love with you, Missy."

And before either of them could uttered another word, Missy had let out a shallow breath, unable to stop herself anymore.

His words were all she needed to hear.

And within the blink of an eye, Missy had pressed her lips to his….

Wade reacted instantly, kissing her back powerfully, his hands on her face, taking a step into her.

And Missy, right now, for the first time in a long, _long_ time, realised that _this_ was she wanted to be…

Not with Scott…a man who would let them down…who would leave them….

…but with Wade….a mercenary who wouldn't.

It was a moment or two before they both pulled away breathlessly, chests heaving, and eyes dark and full of longing.

Missy wanted it to never end…but before she could press herself to the merc again-

"Mommy?" came a sudden tiny voice from behind them.

The pair turned to see Emily, stood up on the couch on her chubby little legs, staring at the pair of them, mouth open wide.

She glanced up at Wade for a second before looking back at Missy, as if trying to figure out just what they'd been doing.

Before suddenly the gorgeous little toddlers' face broke into a wide smile and she reached out making grabby hands for the merc before her.

Missy herself gave a smile at this, tucking her hair behind her ear, and watched, as Wade grinned heaving Em up into his arms.

The two-year-old cuddled herself hurriedly into his chest and let out a little yawn.

"Waydee shtay tonighh, yea?" she said peering up at him after a moment had passed, her sticky little paw resting on his bicep.

But before Wade could answer her, Missy had taken a step closer to them, stroking her hand across her daughter's little pink cheek.

"Wadey _should_ stay…" said the caramel-haired woman in a gentle tone, but her eyes were not on Emily…

….but Wade instead.

The mercenary paused for what felt like the longest most excruciating moment before his face cracked into a beaming smile, his tanned face wrinkling at the corners of his eyes.

* * *

Missy tugged Emily's door closed behind her, stepping back out into the living room.

It hadn't taken long to put Emily to bed and for her to drift off to sleep, the little girl forgetting the terrifying events of this evening, instead asking her mother, _'_ _Will Waydee kish Mommy 'gain?'_ to which Missy had merely smiled and not given a reply.

She would save _that_ answer for tomorrow.

And now, Missy walked back into the living room to find Wade standing there, hands shoved into the pockets of his jeans staring out of the window.

"Hey," she uttered quietly, giving him a nervous smile.

She hoped he hadn't changed his mind about anything…

But as Wade looked up at her, smiling, even then Missy felt her heart leap within her chest.

She for once, felt happy and safe and loved.

And she hoped Emily finally felt that way too….

For it had been a long, long time coming.

"Hey there, Mama-Bear…" said the tall, haphazardly handsome merc, in a teasing voice, grinning.

He strolled over towards her, closing the gap between them in an instant.

Missy bit her lip, her eyes roving across his long, tanned face.

He was everything she wanted…everything she could _ever_ want…

Missy gently took his hand and pulled him towards her open bedroom door, before turning back to face him in the dim light of the room.

She gave a hard gulp.

Tonight had been tough for her…but she finally felt like a weight had been lifted from her shoulders…

Missy looked at him carefully.

"Can we just…." she looked down at the floor. "Tonight… can we…just…"

But Wade got the point, without her even having to finish her sentence.

He gave an understanding nod, a hint of a smile lingering on his lips.

Tonight all Missy wanted was for Wade to hold her…to feel safe in his strong arms…

It wasn't a few minutes before both of them had pulled off their clothes, stripping down to their underwear and climbed beneath the white sheets, lying close, Missy curled up into him as Wade held her tightly.

She could smell candy apples and gunpowder and the scent of musk that she just wanted to surround herself with forever.

All of this. It felt so natural…and right. Like she had known him a lifetime…

She nuzzled her face into him, tucking her head beneath his chin as he pulled her body close to his…capturing her in his arms…like he was never going to let her go again…

…and Missy dearly hoped, that he never, _ever_ would…..

* * *

 **Thanks you so much to jonstar1034, TheHappyKitty, Carlypso, Welisarne, Legolas Girl 31, jaeffhardyluvsme, Tony, LilyMyDeer, Momochan77, WolfyQueen, petiteyoyo, AngyDent13 and Raging Raven for reviewing the last chapter.**

 **So what did you think?**

 **Good ending? Or should I end it there after all. I maaaay do a little more, depending on how many reviews I get for this chapter and how much interest there is in people wanting more. Any Wade/Missy/Deadpool fans out there?**

 **Anyway, let me know what you thought? And have a great weekend.**

 **Please review :)**


	27. Chapter 27

Missy picked up the steaming mug of coffee in her hands, taking a grateful sip.

She was stood in her tiny kitchenette, lilac robe shucked over her bare shoulders, staring into space.

Emily had woken up at the crack of dawn, as usual, crying out for her mother, needing to go to the bathroom.

Missy had blinked her eyes open, a little disoriented, to find Wade Wilson beside her, his strong arms wrapped around her naked form.

It hadn't taken them long last night…perhaps they had been asleep for about an hour, when fingertips had lazily found skin, and lips had found the other's in the darkness.

Missy had wanted him badly, and in the warmth of the bedsheets, feeling his tight form pressed against hers, she hadn't been able to stop herself….and neither had Wade.

Breathless moans and pleasurable gasps had filled the gloom filled bedroom. Both had come undone together, leaving both beaded with sweat and exhausted…

Missy smiled to herself, staring down into her coffee cup as she remembered it.

"How are my two ladies doin' this morning?" came a sudden voice from the living room, shaking Missy from her daydream.

She glanced up to see the merc, huge grin upon his tanned face, padding into the living room, wearing nothing but a pair of navy boxers.

Missy flushed instantly and lowered her mug.

It had been so long since she had been in any sort of relationship, so this was all new to her again.

"Hey," she uttered softly, her lips twitching up into a smile.

Wade approached her, looking happy.

"I don't think Chicken Little heard me," he said conversationally. "Too engrossed in her _My Little Ponies_."

Missy smirked up at Wade.

"Oh, she didn't?" she said, as Wade's hands slipped around her robed-waist. "Then I guess she'll have a nice surprise that you stayed over after all last night…"

The merc gave a chuckle and Missy's breath hitched in her throat as he leant forward and kissed her.

Taking step into her, the merc backed her up against the kitchen counter as Missy let out a laugh, pulling away from him for a moment, but Wade was unrelenting and captured her lips in his own again before she had a chance to speak.

"Why Waydee kisshin Mommy?" came a sudden voice from behind them that caused them to pull away after a moment or two.

Emily.

Missy turned to her tiny daughter and smiled, wrinkling her nose as she did so.

The toddler was stood in her fluffy white pyjamas that covered her toes, making her look like an oversized bunny rabbit.

She was peering up curiously between the two adults, her finger in her mouth.

She was obviously wondering wat they were up to?

But Wade gave a faux-sigh, grabbing Emily around the middle and sweeping her up into his strong arms.

"Why am I kissing your Mommy?" he asked the two-year old, as she pawed at his bare chest happily. "Well, because I think she is, not only super-duper gorgeous…"

He leant forward, placing a hand over his mouth surreptitiously.

"…but she let me share her amazingly comfy queen-sized bed too," he said in a carrying whisper, causing Missy to fold her arms and roll her eyes at the merc.

Emily let out a giggle, pressing her fingers to Wade's nose.

"Waydee shtay wif Mommy?" she asked, her little green eyes roving across Wade's long features.

The merc glanced Missy's way for a second, causing her blush to deepen. She turned away busying herself with pouring him a cup of coffee from the pot.

"Yup," he replied, snapping his jaws at the little girl, pretending to bite at Emily's little fingers with his teeth.

The toddler let out a squeal of delight and reached out for Missy, who instantly obliged her, plucking her out of Wade's arms.

"Come here baby," she said as the two-year old snuggled herself beneath Missy's chin, her green eyes on Wade's face. "Let's get you away from naughty Wadey…"

Wade took a step towards Missy, giving a wolfish grin.

"Ah ah ah, that's not what you were saying last night, yummy-mommy," he said in a goading voice. "If I remember correctly you were _very_ much into ' _naughty Wadey'_ and all the bad, _bad_ things he was able to do for you…"

Missy could feel a heat growing inside her at the merc's closeness, his breath lingering on her neck.

She glanced up into his chocolate eyes, her lips parting slightly.

But that only lasted a second or two, before she tutted, turning away from him and picking up his mug of coffee and pressing it into his hands, shoving him gently away.

"Oh, I think _Wadey_ can make his own breakfast this morning, don't you think, sweetie?" Missy asked the toddler in her arms, her tone teasing.

Emily gave a nod, smiling before turning back to the merc and poking her tongue out towards him causing Wade to burst into laughter.

He gave a sigh.

"Alright, a Wade Wilson pancake extravaganza coming up for my two favourite delectable ladies," he said lifting the coffee cup to his smirking lips, his eyes on Missy. "But promise me you won't get _too_ hot under the collar when I serve you something hot and buttery, and dripping with maple syrup."

But Missy merely smirked back, taking a sip of her own coffee and wrinkling her nose.

"I'll try not to," she said teasingly, making to sashay past him, bumping him with her hip as she did so.

But she had barely moved a few feet across the kitchenette, when Wade grabbed her around the waist, turning her back to face him.

And with that, the mercenary pressed his lips to hers.

Emily who was still in her mother's arms between them, gazed up in awe at the pair of them, lips locked beside her.

What neither of them noticed was for the two year old two give a wide happily smile and a laugh before pressing her own kiss to Wade's cheek first then Missy's.

"Emlee luv Waydee an' Mommy," she said excitedly. "Yesh, yesh!"

* * *

 **Just a brief little chapter to keep you guys going. More to come very, very soon. Hope this one was ok?**

 **Thanks to those who reviewed my last chapter: TheHappyKitty, CaptainWilliamsN7, tallon2692, avidfandomlover, Wellisarne, Legolas Girl 31, Tabloid Teen, jonstar1034, srosal1, Momochan77, pyroleigh, RomansBride, dancindonna, sherlocksbluebox, AngiMK, jeffhardyluvsme, Smaugthegolden, V, petite yoyo, b williams1297 and Guest.**

 **Please review :)**


	28. Chapter 28

"So what you're saying is that I'm going to be out of a job by the end of the year?" said Missy, a frown line twitching between her brows.

She was currently sat at the end of a long table in a sleek glass surrounded boardroom, facing three of her bosses, one of which was Mike, her slimy colleague who had tried to hit on her just over a week ago. He was currently sat, legs spread cockily apart, a large, smug smirk across his features.

"Well that _does_ gives you almost 11 months," uttered an older gentleman with thinning strawberry blonde hair, looking uncomfortable. "But, um…obviously because you've only been with us for less than six months you're aren't entitled to our _full_ severance package-"

"But I'm still out of a job, that's what you're ultimately saying?" snapped Missy.

She had been right.

The company was losing money, and of course, as she had predicated, it was last one in first one out. And that meant her.

"I can understand how this might be upsetting for you-" began another of the men, but Missy just got to her feet abruptly.

"I'm not upset," she said, her voice firm. "I'm just going to go back to my desk and get on with my work for as long as I have this job. Is that ok with you?"

The men merely stared back at her, a little startled, before they finally nodded.

Missy, scraping her chair backwards, stalked from the room.

Right now she was angry and frustrated. She had only worked here for four months, but since the day she had started, she had been treated like shit by her fellow colleagues, hit on by her so-called boss, and had now, to put a cherry on top of it all, been dismissed- well, in December she would be anyway.

She gave a sigh as she dropped back down onto the swivel chair at her desk.

Missy had a ton of paperwork to do, but her heart just wasn't in it.

Perhaps she would spend the afternoon searching for jobs instead. What did she care now anyway if she got caught browsing the internet?

Missy was just about to log back into her PC, when there came a sudden high-pitched laugh from the corner of the room.

She turned, glancing over to see a couple of the women, who worked over in sales, standing with Mike, her smarmy boss (who was now leant cockily up against the copier). But to Missy's utter horror, she saw Mike glance her way, as did the two women, before they burst into fits of laughter once again.

Missy went a bright beetroot colour.

It was obvious they were talking about her.

Another flurry of laughter peeled across the room as one of the young guys who worked only a few desks down from Missy got up to join in their conversation. He too looked over at her, before chuckling to himself.

Missy frowned but could feel a lump forming in her throat.

She desperately wanted to say something, but knew that the moment she stood to speak, she would get tongue tied and embarrassed under their stares. But regardless, Missy knew that right now she just needed some fresh air. To clear her head if nothing else…

But before Missy could even get to her feet, she suddenly saw heads turn towards a tall figure strutting across the room towards her….dressed in a sheepskin coat…

Missy gaped.

There he was, Wade Wilson, looking as roguish as ever, tiny toddler attached to his hand.

Everyone in the room suddenly stopped what they were doing, looking up at this stranger in his cool and casual clothes. But Wade didn't seem to even care. His eyes locked onto Missy.

"Hey there, _Moon of my life,_ " he uttered in a charming tone, flashing her an award-winning grin. "How's your work day going?"

Missy couldn't help but blink a few times as Wade stopped beside her desk, before bending down at lifting Emily up in his arms, plonking her down onto a large stack of paperwork.

The little girl giggled, placing a sticky hand into her mouth.

"Hai, Mommy," she said giving her mother a wave at close proximity.

Missy looked at Emily before gazing up at the merc in shock.

"W-what are you doing here?" she asked a little urgently, feeling the entire office's eyes on her, right at that moment.

But Wade merely gave a bemused frown.

"Coming to see you," he said raising an eyebrow towards her fiendishly. "We wondered if you want to join us for some lunch? I've heard that the place around the corner serves just _the_ best tacos…"

But Missy shook her head.

"What-… I don't-…what? Wait, how did you even get in here?" she asked flushing once again as she heard the room fill with whispers.

"We just walked past the _ladies_ at reception, came up in the elevator, and now we're here," said the merc with a shrug, patting to top of Emily's head teasingly, causing the little girl to push his hand away.

"Noh Waydee…don'" she said scooting over to where he couldn't reach her, before getting distracted by Missy's stapler.

She picked it up in her tiny paws examining it. But Missy extracted it from her clutches nonchalantly, passing her a company branded 'stress-ball' to play with instead.

"A-And no one stopped you?" asked Missy, looking at Wade confusedly.

But Wade suddenly folded his arms across his broad chest.

"Oooh you're callous," he said in a faux-pained voice. "Sounds like you don't want us here after all-"

He gave a tut and made to pick Emily up.

"Come on, Em-bear," he said in a high-pitched tone, pretending to wipe away a fake tear. "We know when were not wanted..."

Missy rolled her eyes. He could be such an idiot sometimes.

She and Wade had been….well, technically you could call it _dating_ …for about a week now.

And if Missy was honest, she had never been happier.

Ok, granted he could definitely drive her crazy at times, but the way he was around Emily…and the way Missy felt so protected and happy when she was around him….it made her heart feel like it was about to burst from her chest.

She knew how she felt about him.

She loved him. But after a week she wasn't quite ready to reveal that to him _just_ yet.

She didn't want to scare him away after all.

"Ok, ok, stop," said Missy letting out a huff, as Wade turned back to her smirking.

He placed Emily back where she was on the paper stack.

"Sorry I've just had a pretty crappy morning is all," Missy uttered, rubbing her tired face with her hand. She looked up at Wade. "They're giving me until the end of December and then they'll be letting me go. So I'm going to have to start looking for other jobs."

She gave another sad sigh, glancing away, her fingers sub-consciously fiddling with Emily's tiny boot-covered feet.

But Wade gave a deep frown.

"What?" he said darkly, his tone a little sharp.

Missy gazed up, giving a gulp and looking into Wade's brown eyes. He looked angry, his jaw clenched tightly together.

But all Missy could do was shrug, flinching slightly, as whispers carried across the large open-plan office.

She couldn't help but glance over at the small group of men and women, now congregated at the copier, obviously talking about Missy and her visitors.

Her face instantly flushed at this.

Don't let them get to you, don't let them get to you….she repeated to herself in her head, but how could she not?

Suddenly she saw Wade follow her line of sight and stare over at the group. She was almost sure she heard him let out a low growl.

"Tell me, baby," said Wade in a sickly-sweet voice. "Is _that_ the fucking bag of dicks in the overpriced Armani suit that was responsible for all this?"

He nodded over towards sleazy-Mike, who caught the merc's eye, his smile faltering slightly.

"Wade-" began Missy a little pleadingly.

She already knew how protective the merc was of the pair of them, she had seen proof of that in the alley last week…

But the merc stared down at her.

"Nuh-huh," he said, his voice low and dangerous. "If they think they can fuck with you, then they're going to have to go through me…and I _definitely_ don't have any soft spots for jumped-up douchebags with $200 haircuts and waxed-ball sacks."

He was angry. Missy could tell by his face. And by chance would have it, so did Emily.

"Why Waydee angwy?" she asked her mouth falling open into a perfect o-shape.

But Wade softened slightly at this and turned to her, stroking her cheek gently with his hand.

"Oh baby-girl," said Wade in a gentle tone. "Wadey's angry at people treating your gorgeous mommy like shit and thinking they can get away with it."

"Wade," said Missy warningly. "Don't do anything stupid. I've still got to work here for another eleven months unless I find something else sooner…"

She was worried. She knew that Wade could be volatile, and she _still_ needed to work with these people for the next few months.

"And what, I'm just supposed to fucking stand here and watch them talk shit about the second-most beautiful fucking goddess that ever walked this earth?" said Wade before suddenly looking down at Emily. "You're number one, Chicken Little, don't you worry."

Emily gave a tiny giggle, picking up a paperclip and moving it towards her mouth curiously.

Wade without even looking, pulled it from her grasp, tossing it out of her reach.

But Emily instantly looked grumpy folding her arms huffily and scooting away from Wade.

"They're not-" began Missy, but she trailed off unable to lie to the merc. "It's…fine, Wade. Really."

But the tall-mercenary obviously didn't believe her and Missy could almost see him bristle as another wave a of whispers floated across the room.

 _"…_ _now she's bringing her kid here too…Jesus…"_

At this, the merc's eyes suddnely flashed angrily.

And before Missy could make a grab for his arm and stop him, Wade had stalked across the room over to the ever increasing crowd of people, all stood by the copier.

She winced both internally and externally.

Oh god…

Oh god…

From her distance away she saw Wade come to stand coolly before them, as the group of office-workers cowered before his intimidating demeanour.

Sleazy Mike gave a visible gulp as Wade began to speak.

But despite Missy trying with all her might to hear what he was saying, she just couldn't manage to. And so, she had to endure the long and painful few moments before Wade finally strolled casually back over to her.

Missy slumped forwards on her desk, placing her face into her hands and giving a groan.

"What did you say, Wade?" she uttered tiredly, letting out a long sigh, as Emily reached forwards, grasping for a strand of Missy's long caramel hair.

But the merc merely flashed her a grin and gave a nonchalant shrug.

"Oh you know…just water-cooler gossip," he said devilishly, as Missy rolled her eyes, watching as the crowd at the copier disbanded, all looking sheepish.

"I swear, Wilson, if you've got me into trouble-" she began, pointing a finger at him warningly.

But Wade merely grasped Missy's hand and pulled her suddenly to her feet, tugging her close to him heroically.

"As _if_ , I would do a thing like that…" he said leaning in towards her, causing her breath to catch slightly in her throat.

When it came to sex, Missy and Wade had pretty much been at it like rabbits for the past week, obviously they had to wait until Emily was asleep, but then the night was their own…

And they most certainly made the most of that so far…

Missy scowled playfully. "I know you Wade," she said tutting. "Probably too well!"

But Wade just continued to smile at her fiendishly, his lips lingering close to hers.

"Well In that case, you'll know that _I am_ staaaaarving," he giving a low growl of hunger, his chocolate eyes boring into hers. "And luckily for you, I managed to wrangle you an extended lunchbreak, with yours truly."

Missy gave a frown, glancing over to where creepy-Mike was sloping off towards the elevators alone, looking very much like Wade had thoroughly bruised his ego.

Missy finally turned back to Wade.

"And how did you manage _that_ exactly?" she asked, the corners of her lips twitching slightly, feeling his hot breath on her neck.

But suddenly and without warning, Wade unceremoniously pulled away from her, and turned to Emily, heaving her up into his strong arms once again.

He held her close, booping her nose gently, causing the two year old to giggle and squeal happily.

"Oh y'know…" he uttered grinning back at Missy, raising a single scarred eyebrow towards her. "…... _merc perks."_

* * *

 **Another short one. Was that ok? Did you like it?**

 **Thanks so much to those who reviewed the last chapter: TheHappyKitty, dancindonna, Momochan77, pyroleigh, Smaug the golden, RomansBride, Just2aw3s0me, jonstar1034, petite-yoyo, Legolas Girl 31, Lily, Raging Raven, Carlypso and AngiMK.**

 **Please review :)**


	29. Chapter 29

It was a warm, Sunday morning and a gentle breeze wafted through Missy's bedroom window.

She and Wade were currently tangled in sheets, both of them close to completeness...

The merc was on top of Missy, their fingers interlaced above her head.

She gave a soft moan, closing her eyes as Wade ground his body into hers.

He lapped at her slender neck before letting out a groan of his own. And in that moment, the pair of them came apart together, Missy giving a pleasurable "yes...yes".

In a moment it was over and both of them collapsed back against the pillows, breathing hard.

Missy trembled slightly beneath his tender touch, but Wade pulled her close, unlinking his hands with hers and instead slipping his palms down her bare side.

He kissed her gently, feeling her chuckle into his mouth.

He pulled back grinning and was about to make a usual Wade Wilson smart remark, when suddenly, there was a creak from the corner of the room.

Both of them instantly turned, to see Emily stood in the doorway staring at them.

Neither of them had any idea how long she had been there for, or how much she had seen...

Missy pushed Wade from her and clutched the sheet, giving Emily a smile.

"Y-You ok baby?" she asked a little worriedly, propping herself up into her elbow.

Emily looked between the pair of them, the tiniest of frowns on her face.

"Mommy...wha was Waydee doin to you?" she asked after a long pause.

Missy immediately reddened, as Wade gave a laugh behind her.

She elbowed him swiftly in the ribs, causing him to shut up.

"Nothing sweetie, we were just...uh...playing..." she said, smoothing down her caramel-blonde hair.

But Emily's little green eyes flickered between Wade and Missy, that little frown still there.

"Playin?" she asked cautiously, as if wondering whether they really were 'playing'.

Missy's flush deepened. Oh god, she wished for once Wade had done as he was told and locked the door!

The caramel-blonde woman, reached for her robe, that lay pooled on the floor where she had left it the previous morning, and shucked it over her bare shoulders.

"You want some breakfast, baby?" Missy asked her daughter, padding across the bedroom floor towards her and taking her tiny hand in her own.

But Emily narrowed her eyes at Wade, ignoring her Mom.

"Waydee noh allow shcleep in here wif Mommy no mor," said the little brown-haired toddler, giving a scowl.

At this, Missy instantly pursed her lips, trying not to laugh. She chanced a glance behind her at Wade, who ran a hand through his short hair, shooting her back a bemused expression.

"I wasn't doing anything to hurt your gorgeous Mommy," said Wade, his voice sounding a little strained. "But you see Chicken Little, when grownups start to have urges-"

"Nope!" said Missy instantly, turning Emily around on the spot and leading her hurriedly from the room. "Nope, nope nope…"

"What?!" she heard Wade utter behind her as she exited the room with Emily at her heels.

Missy shook her head, lifting the little girl up to sit at the table, ready for breakfast.

The toddler peered up at her mother, searching her face carefully.

"Mommy mine, noh Waydee's," said the two year old in a firm voice, trying to squirm out of the chair and make her way back to Missy.

Missy let out a smirk.

"Ok, baby, let's have some cereal, yeah?"

* * *

After a long day, Wade disappearing off to a job Weasel had set up for him, and Missy having headed into the city to buy some new clothes for Emily.

The trio finally arrived home, the two girls, bumping into Wade in their hallway.

"Well if it isn't my two favourite ladies," he said kissing Missy on the lips possessively, his hand snaking its way around her waist.

As it did so, Missy saw the flash of a blade beneath his jacket.

So it had been one of those kind of jobs?

She rarely asked about Wade's work and he rarely ever spoke about it. They were both happy with that. The less Missy knew the better. She would only worry anyway.

But as Wade pulled away from her, the couple looked down to see Emily, scowling angrily up at Wade trying to push his legs away from Missy.

"Noh, Waydee, Mommy mine!" she said an angry little tone.

Wade gave a chuckle and crouched down before her, linking his fingers together in front of him.

"Hey Em-Bear, I thought we were cool to share-" he began, but before he could even finish his sentence, Emily had balled her hand up into a little fist and hit Wade across the shoulder.

"Emily!" said Missy in a reprimanding voice, tugging her away. "We don't hit!"

Wade, as easy as ever, merely chuckled, pretending to rub at his bruise mockingly.

But Emily hearing the scolding in her mother's voice, looked up at Missy for a long moment, before her face suddenly crumpled.

"No, no-" said Missy quickly, but it was too late and Emily began to cry. Loudly.

The noise filled the entire hallway as Emily stood there, tears slipping down her cheeks and her face turning red.

Missy instantly bent down and picked the toddler up into her arms, flashing Wade a frown as she did so.

"This is all your fault y'know?" she said accusingly, brushing past him and flouncing into her apartment as Emily continued to cry.

"My fault?" said Wade with a bemused expression, following her. "I wasn't the one who raised the next Mohammed Ali over there!"

Missy glared at him.

"Me?! You're the one teaching her bad habits, Wade!"

But Wade gave a groan, tossing his head back. " _Godddddd_ , you take a two-year old to _one_ little, underground cage-fighting match, and you never hear the end of it-"

Missy rolled her eyes and tutted.

"You realise this is all because she caught us this morning," said Missy, rocking the crying toddler in her arms, trying to soothe her.

"Worth it though," said Wade suddenly, winking at Missy fiendishly.

But the caramel-haired woman did not appreciate that.

She merely scowled as much as Emily had, looking remarkably similar to her at this very moment.

"I _told_ you to lock the door, Wade!" she uttered through gritted teeth.

"Uhhhhhhh, I think I was a little distracted by _you_ sitting naked on top of me, thanks very much!" the merc swiped back over Emily's wails.

But Missy gave a frustrated growl at him, turning away and jiggling the two-year old on her hip.

"Aww baby, it's ok, don't cry," she uttered in a gentle tone. "You want to make some cookies together? Huh?"

At this, Emily blinked her eyes a few times, her sobs subsiding slightly.

She gave a tiny sniff, snot and tears running down her red face.

The toddler pressed herself into her mother, her sticky little fingers toying with Missy's hair.

"Yesh," she said giving a tiny nod. "But me an' Mommy onwy, nat Waydee."

The two year old suddenly turned to Wade and shot him a dark frown.

At this, Missy couldn't help but let out the smallest of laughs. More at the look on the merc's face than anything else.

It wasn't often that Wade was put out, or even lost for words, but right now he was.

He gave a long sigh, taking step towards a pair of them.

"Are you gonna tell me what I can do to make it up to you, Chicken Little?" he asked the little girl, giving her pout. "Or am I going to have to beg?"

"Oh begging sounds good," said Missy smirking and raising her eyebrows teasingly.

But Wade shot her a withering look in return as he approached the pair of them, reaching out to tickle Emily's little cheek.

But as he drew closer, Emily turned her head away from him irritably.

"Noh Waydee, I no fwend wif yoo noh mor," she said in a grumpy little tone.

Wade pursed his lips together in frustration, a frown appearing between his brows.

"How about a bribe?" he tried, plucking a roll of twenty dollar bills from his pocket. "Or if you'd prefer it by Pay pal, I'm good for that too?"

But Emily pulled away from him further.

Missy smiled.

This was just what dealing with a toddler was like sometimes, and if Wade really was planning to stick around with them for good, he would come to realise that moods like this, really were a weekly occurrence.

Missy and Wade had been dating for coming up to two months now, and although the merc now spent most of his time here, with the pair of them, he had been graced with the good days. The ones _without_ the tantrums and the dramas, over a lost cuddly toy, or over a piece of broccoli discovered beneath her mashed potato.

Wade let out a tired huff, looking slightly despondent. Unluckily for him, Emily didn't fall for his oh-so-smart remarks like everyone else did.

Perhaps Missy would let him out of his misery.

"Sweetie?" she asked gently, placing a finger beneath Emily's chin, forcing the tiny toddler to look up at her. "You shouldn't get jealous ok? You know that Mommy loves you so, so much. But she also loves Wadey too…"

Missy chanced a smiling glance up at Wade, whose jaw seemed to drop open.

In two months of dating this was the first time Missy had ever mentioned that she loved him.

The merc, of course, expressed how in love with her he was all the time, but Missy being a little more reserved and a little more nervous about showing her feelings, had held off.

Until now that was.

Suddenly she saw Wade's mouth curve up into a beaming smile, causing his eyes to wrinkle at the corners.

"…so you can't be mean to him, or hit him, or anyone else. Ok, baby?" she finished, stroking Emily's soft cheek with her thumb.

The little girl stared at Missy for what felt like the a longest of moments, before _finally_ giving a nod, jutting her little lip out sadly.

"Okway, I sowwy Mommy," she said in the faintest of voices.

"And what do you say to Wadey?" Missy asked.

Emily turned to look at Wade, tears brimming in her little green eyes. "I sowwy Waydee. I wuv yoo too."

Wade suddenly cocked his head, staring back at the pair of them adoringly, but he didn't open his mouth to reply.

But Missy merely smiled, pressing a kiss to her daughter's temples.

"That's ok baby," she whispered happily. "So, shall we make cookies then?"

Emily gave a giggle, brightening at her mom's words.

"Yesh!"

"Ok, then!" said Missy bouncing her on her hip and heading in the kitchen.

At the door, Missy turned back to Wade, who was stood there with that same besotted expression still plastered across his long face.

"You coming tough guy?" she asked, shooting him a grin, wrinkling her nose as she did so. "You're on frosting duty."

Wade seemed to shake himself and let out a smile.

"Yes, Ma'am," he replied strolling over to her, looping his arms around her shoulders as they headed into the kitchen.

But at their contact, Missy grinned to herself, biting her lip.

She turned and leaned forwards into him, her pink lips lingering close to his ear.

"And then…..later tonight….. if you have any of that frosting left over…."

She pulled away, giving him a long, lingering look, causing Wade to instantly give a groan of need.

"Jesus _Chriiiist_ , we are making sure that door is double-locked tonight!" he said longingly, causing Missy to let out a gentle laugh.

* * *

 **Sorry it's only a short one. But this close to Christmas and I'm kind of short on time.**

 **Thanks to TheHappyKitty, dancindonna, Momochan77, Nameless, starrat, Guest, jeffhardyluvsme, Legolas Girl 31, jonstar1034, AngiMK, RagingRaven, THE JUDGE OF FICS, petite yoyo, Smaug The Golden, Sesflynn and Carlypso for reviewing the last chapter.**

 **I'd really like to know what you thought of this one…was it okay?**

 **Please review :)**


	30. Chapter 30

"So….what shall we get your Mommy for her birthday?" asked Wade as he and Emily strolled hand-in-hand through the park on a warm, breezy afternoon. "I hope you've got some bright ideas Chicken Little, because I've got nothing….nada….and if we don't find something by the end of today, I've got a feeling your favourite mercenary is going to be well and truly, in the doghouse."

The two year old peered up at him with wide eyes.

Wade knew it was unlikely she had heard him, but he still liked to chat to her anyway. He gave her a reassuring smile, letting her know that everything was A-OK.

"Mommy biwfday tommowow," said Emily matter-of-factly, giving a tiny nod of her head.

"Yeah, that's right," said the merc grinning. Every time the two year-old spoke, it made his heart feel like it was fit to burst.

Wade had had a pretty rough time of it lately. He'd had two jobs go badly, and currently the merc was sporting a large purple eye and a couple of cuts around his temples, from where he had had a glass smashed over his head in a bar.

But despite his roguish, haphazard appearance, Emily didn't seem to care. She today, looked as perfect as ever compared to him, in a little navy coat, matching shoes and some leggings with giraffes on visible underneath. Her hair was, as always, tied up in a little red bow.

" _I_ made Mommy pikshur," she said triumphantly.

But Wade gave a grumble, narrowing his eyes in jealousy.

"Alright, Little Miss Perfect," he retorted in a playful voice. "But remember you could puke on her and she'd still love you… I, on the other hand, don't quite have that same charm. So _that's_ why we need to come up with something good."

The pair came to a stop by a bench, Wade bending down and lifting Emily so she could sit down, before he came to rest beside her.

"So what do you think? Earrings?" he asked the two-year-old.

But Emily instantly shook her head.

"Noh Mommy has lotsa earins," she said, giving a disproving frown.

Wade leaned forwards, looking at the toddler, linking his fingers together.

"Alright alright, then how about…some perfume? It's a classic, right?" he said confidently. "Or how about some super-sexy underwear?"

He waggled his scarred eyebrows at the little girl, who merely huffed back at him.

"Noh," she uttered sternly.

Wade gave a long sigh.

"Then I'm stumped," he said defeated. "I give up. I'm going to just try and blag it and go for a big bunch of flowers. You think she'd like that?"

But Emily, who stood up on the bench and waddled over the edge to peer over at a large white pile of pigeon poop, shook her head.

"Noh…" she murmured disinterestedly. "Waydee, I need to go potty."

She looked up at him, batting her green eyes, and Wade Wilson melted right there and then.

He gave a sigh as Emily waddled over to him, trying to climb onto his lap.

"Potty it is," he said placing his hands beneath her arms and lifting her, as he got to his feet once more. He balanced her on his hip easily. "But this doesn't let you off trying to help me find a present for your Mom, alright?"

Emily gave a giggle, placing her fingers into her mouth.

"Awlrite," she answered, tucking her head beneath his chin as they walked.

* * *

Five minutes later and Wade and Emily arrived at a place close by, that the toddler now knew very well indeed.

Not that Wade would ever tell Missy that, of course…

Sister Margaret's School for Wayward Girls was a place that Wade and Emily frequented more often than not when the pair went for their daily walks.

Emily would always complain that she was thirsty or needed to use the bathroom at the exact point when they were furthest away from home. And the only place that always seemed to be close enough and friendly enough, for Wade at least, was Weasel's bar.

Wade pushed open the familiar red door, Emily still clutched in his arms.

"So how about a puppy?" he asked the tiny toddler conversationally. "Everyone likes puppies…I think your Mommy would _love_ a Great Dane or something right?"

"I lik a puppy," said Emily instantly. "My biwfday soon."

Wade grinned.

She wasn't wrong.

It was Emily's birthday next month. She would be turning three.

Missy had already bought her a gift, something Emily had had her eye on for a long time. But for both their sakes, thankfully it wasn't a puppy.

Wade, hoping he could distract the toddler for long enough to make her forget about his promise of buying a dog, approached the bar.

"Well if it isn't Wade Wilson and Princess Emily," came Weasel's sudden voice from behind them.

The bespectacled man appeared, wearing an un-ironed flannel shirt, a collection of dirty glasses in his hands. He tickled Emily's cheek as he passed.

The little girl smiled shyly, before burying her face in Wade's hoodie. "Need potty," she said in a quiet voice.

Wade chuckled. "Alright, alright, let's get you sorted."

* * *

A minute or two later, Wade and Emily reappeared from the otherwise empty women's bathroom.

A trip to the bathroom always took longer than it should, mainly due to the fact that Emily was bossy when it came to Wade doing things her Mom normally did for her. She constantly gave him instructions. _"Noh Silly Waydee, you noh do my dwess up lik dat,"_ she had just told him in a reprimanding voice, as he fiddled with the buckles of her dungaree-dress.

Luckily for her, the merc had a soft spot when it came to her scolding voice. In fact she reminded him a lot of Missy when she told him off like that.

As they approached the empty bar once again, Wade lifted Emily up so that she could sit on one of the battered old bar stools.

"So," said Weasel giving them a lop sided grin. "What do I owe _this_ pleasure?"

Wade, who pulled a second stool up right beside Emily's, took a seat, leaning his elbow on the sticky bar.

"Well, Em-bear and I are trying to find a present for Missy for her birthday tomorrow," said the merc, rubbing a hand over his tired face. "And _this one_ is not giving me _anything_."

He ruffled the top of Emily's head, causing the little girl to pull away from him frowning.

"Noh, don' " she said, shooting him a dark look.

Weasel gave a bemused smile, folding his arms across his chest. "Leaving it a bit late if her birthdays tomorrow aren't you?" he asked, raising his eyebrows.

But Wade gave a huff.

"The thing about Missy is, that she won't even give me the tiniest hint about what she wants. No. She just _expects_ me to know!" he said scowling.

He and Missy had been dating for around six months now, and if Wade was honest, it had been the best six months of his life.

For the first time, he truly felt like he was part of something, part of a family. There with two people who loved him, and who he loved _unconditionally_ back.

"So what do you have planned so far?" asked Weasel, shifting his weight from foot to foot. "Dinner and a proposal?"

Wade shot him an unimpressed look.

"I don't think Missy's quite ready for a Wade Wilson-style, get down on one knee, proposal _just_ yet, thanks," the merc replied in a sarcastic tone. "And dinner's out of the question because of this one…"

He gave Emily's side a little tickle, causing her to squirm way from him yet again.

Weasel gave a shrug placing his palms down flat onto the bar.

"Then I give up," he said shaking his head. "Apart from a slap-up meal and a piece of expensive jewellery, I have no frikkin' idea what you can buy her, man. Women- not really my forte…"

Wade gave another sigh.

"What do you think Chicken Little? You think she'd like it if I whisked her away for a night and ditched you with a sitter…nice hotel…bubble bath…massage from yours truly…?" he asked the two year old who looked up at him her tiny mouth agape.

"Noh…me shaty wif Mommy…Mommy lik me besht," replied Emily with a nod.

Weasel gave a chuckle. "Cheeky little shrimp isn't she?" he said loudly, before moving off to serve a burly guy who had just entered the bar beside them.

Wade grinned down at Emily.

"You're not really making this easy for me, baby girl," he said turning to face her fully and peering down into her little green eyes.

"I made Mommy pikshur," repeated the little girl, smiling up at him happily.

She placed her little sticky paw onto Wade's knee, and in that moment Wade had, what he would call, a brilliant idea.

"Actually, a picture kinda sounds good," he said beaming.

* * *

"Happy birthday!" said two loud voices in Missy's ear, breaking through her pleasant sleep.

The caramel-blonde woman gave a huge stretch and a groan, as she felt a tiny little body suddenly bounce on top of hers.

She opened her eyes to see Emily's little face peering down at her, brandishing a large crumpled painting in her hand.

"Mommy, I made yoo pikshur on yor birfday!" said the toddler with a laughing squeal, as she was suddenly lifted off her Mom, by two large hands.

"Hey, Chicken Little," came Wade's voice as Missy pulled herself up into a sitting position. "I know you just _loooove_ to steal my limelight but-"

His voice was playful and teasing. But before he could finish, Emily cut across him with a loud. _"Noh Waydee! I wan Mommy!"_

She reached her free hand out making a grabby gesture for Missy, who gave a sleepy pout and obliged her daughter.

"Awww come here, baby," she said taking her into her arms and peering down at the picture in her hand. "Wow, is this for me?! Thank you."

And with that Missy pressed a kiss to the top of Emily's head.

"For yow biwfday," said the toddler contently, playing with Missy's long blonde hair.

"It's lovely," said Missy admiring the crudely painted picture of what was most certainly the three of them- Missy, Wade and Emily.

In the picture, wavy Missy and Wade were holding hands, with Emily stood in the middle of them holding a large blue blob in her hands.

"An tha's dog I wan' for my birfday," the two year-old said quickly, pre-empting Missy's question.

Missy smiled, glancing over the toddler's head at Wade, for the first time this morning.

She had seen him just a few hours ago…under these very sheets, of course, but even now, Wade gave her the biggest grin, as seeing her for the very first time…

"Morning…" she mouthed, feeling a blush creep across her cheeks. For the merc was standing there naked, save for a pair of Scooby-Doo boxer shorts and a dazzling smile.

"Happy birthday, Yummy-Mommy," he mouthed back.

Missy's eyes flickered down once more to Emily, who was busy babbling to herself, her fingers tracing over the figures she had painted.

Missy, in this moment, felt so in love….with Emily, with Wade…with her life...

But at the back of her mind a horrible nagging feeling rose to the surface. Missy still had not been able to find a new job and it was almost August now….a few more months and that would be it.

But the caramel-blonde woman smiled, pushing this out of her mind…if only for this morning.

"And this," said Wade suddenly, braking Missy from her thoughts. "…is from me…"

He came to perch beside the pair of them on the bed, handing Missy a small wrapped object.

Missy raised a single eyebrow at him, smirking.

"It's not an engagement ring, is it?" she shot teasingly, but inside her ribcage her heart seemed to pound faster.

Wade grinned.

"Pfft. You think I'd really propose to you in _bed_ …..on a _Thursday_ morning…at _7am_?" he said sarcastically. "Ok….I admit…..that sounds very me…..but you wait for that proposal…because when it comes….it's going to be fucking amazing….."

Missy laughed, her green eyes meeting _his_ chocolate ones.

God, she loved him.

Finally tearing her eyes away, she removed the neat wrapping from her gift to reveal beneath a large blue satin box.

Tentatively she opened it, and smiled warmly…

..….for inside, was an expensive looking locket on a long silvery chain.

"Open it.." urged Wade in a quiet voice, looking on, as Emily did the same, falling silent to look at her Mom in awe.

Missy pursed her lips, doing as she was told, and opening the locket, to reveal a tiny photograph of Emily on the inside.

Missy turned it over in her hands a few times, her heart seeming to race within her ribcage…

"You like it?" asked Wade, after Missy was silent for a long moment or two. For once the merc's voice sounded slightly nervous and very far removed from his usual cocky tone. "Because it took me forever to get _this one_ to stand far enough away so I could get a picture _that_ small."

He tugged the tiny toddler into his lap, causing her to squeal in delight at his contact.

And in that very moment, Missy felt more in love and more happy that she had ever been in her entire life. And it was all down to these two.

She gave a wide smile, blushing slightly.

"I love it. Its beautiful Wade," she said leaning into him.

Wade gave an inward sigh of relief which Missy caught, his shoulders un-tensing slightly as he did so.

"Phew! Thank fucking god," he said in a playful voice. "Oh and if you want to put a picture of me in there too at some point, I made sure that there was extra space."

He grinned at her as Missy smiled back, rolling her eyes.

"Sure thing," she replied, biting at her lip, but her smile was genuine. "Thank you, Wade."

The merc moved in closer towards her.

"Don't mention it," he replied, as Missy placed her hands gently to Wade's long face and pressed her lips to his.

In a flash, Wade had grabbed her around the waist, and in that moment, all three of them toppled backwards onto the mattress, Missy letting out a half-laugh, her lips still attached to the merc's.

But she didn't let go…

Even when Emily got to her feet, the pair of them still kissing before her, and folded her chubby arms across herself.

"Noh. Noh kissin' naw…" she said bossily, trying to peel the two adults apart. "I wan bwekfast!"

Missy chuckled into Wade's mouth, but it was still another minute before she would finally peel herself away from the mercenary.

It _WAS_ her birthday after all…

* * *

 **Sorry for the delay, I'm just so busy with Christmas stuff at the moment. Hope this chapter was ok though? Would like to hear what you honestly thought of it.**

 **Thanks to The Happy Kitty, dancindonna, Smaug the Golden, Guest, Legolas Girl 31, Raging Raven, Guest, Momochan77, BellaFantasia, AngiMK, jonstar1034, petite yoyo, AngieDent13 and Carlypso.**

 **Did you like this one?**

 **Please review :)**


	31. Chapter 31

It was a Saturday, and after the week Missy had had, she was very much looking forward to this weekend and spending some time with Wade and Emily.

Not only had Missy been lumbered with the biggest pile of paperwork to do, but she had had to stay late three night's this week to take notes at financial meetings the company was having.

And worst of all was that Missy knew that in three months' time she would be out of a job. And that was that.

And as hard as she had tried, she hadn't even had an interview for another job yet. She must have applied to at least fifty companies so far, but hadn't even been called back for an interview for any of them.

And time was ticking away…

But today, she would try her hardest and push this from her mind. She needed to enjoy this day, for it was the day where her baby girl was turning three years-old.

Emily had been looking forward to her birthday for so long. She had seen a commercial on TV a few weeks ago for a purple toy unicorn that came complete with a hairbrush and pretty hair accessories.

Emily rarely got attached to toys. She had her favourites of course, but none she really played with more than the others. But this was the first thing Missy had seen her pretty enamoured with.

So this morning, Emily had come bounding into Missy and Wade's room, waking the two adults from their comfortable sleep at the crack of dawn.

"My birfday!" she squealed loudly. "It my birfday!"

Clambering up onto the bed, she crawled up between the pair of them on her hands and knees.

"Waydee," she uttered excitedly, poking at his long face. "It my birfday."

"I know it's your birthday Baby-Bear," the tired merc uttered in a playful tone, his eye still closed. "But can't we celebrate it when it's morning? I need at least seven hours sleep a night, especially when your Mom keeps me up so late…"

Emily giggled, leaping onto his chest. "Noh, it my birfday now!"

Wade left out a groan before grasping the tiny little girl around the middle, causing her to squeal with joy as he tickled her sides.

Missy smiled to herself, stretching beneath the sheets and opening her sleepy eyes.

She ran a hand through her long, tousled hair, propping herself up onto her elbow.

"Morning sweetie," she said a pleasant tone. "Happy birthday."

And with that, Missy leant forwards pressing a kiss to her daughter's forehead.

Emily shucked away, beaming, before holding her hands out for her Mom.

"I get pwesant?" asked the toddler, as Missy tugged her into her chest.

The caramel-blonde woman chuckled, her green eyes flickering up to Wade's.

"Maaaaybe," replied the merc. "But you _sure_ you've been a good girl for your Mom this year, huh?"

The, _now_ three year-old, turned to him, pouting. "I bin gud," she replied, before turning back to Missy. "I bin gud, Mommy, yesh?"

Missy couldn't help but smile.

"You have, baby," she said, smoothing down her little brown tuft of hair. "You have."

* * *

It was close to noon when Missy, Wade and Emily finally made it out of the apartment.

Emily, of course had been delighted with her gift and had played with it, still in her tiny white fluffy onesie, for about three hours in total.

In the meantime, Wade had kindly made breakfast for the three of them, and Missy had headed in for a quick two minute shower…which had in fact turned into a fifteen minute shower once the merc had joined her under the running water.

But now the three of them had made it across the city in a cab, and here, to the City Zoo.

"You having a good time baby?" asked Missy as she walked hand-in-hand with the toddler who was eating a strawberry ice cream.

Emily, whose face was now covered in sticky pink goop, peered up at Missy, licking her lips. "Yesh," she replied, her words slightly slurred.

Wade, who had his arm thrown haphazardly around Missy's neck, grinned at this

He had been the one to treat them all to admission tickets, and to Emily's ice cream, and as far as Missy was concerned he had made today just perfect.

This man, who she had met across her hallway less than a year ago, had become all she and Emily had ever wanted. He was kind, funny and treated them both like princesses.

Missy knew of course that his job was risky, and on more than one occasion he had returned battered and bruised, or covered in blood, but he always promised to keep she and Emily safe and Missy trusted him to keep that promise. Above all else.

She was seriously in love with him, but knew than in the back of her mind that if he was to leave them, like Scott had, that her heart would completely break in two, and from that pain she would unlikely be able to return…

But that would never happen…right?

"So what's your favourite animal so far, Chicken Little?" Wade asked Emily, as the three of them stopped next to a low wall.

"Liyons!" said Emily quickly, taking another lick of her ice cream, smearing it further around her mouth.

Emily had loved the lions and had even received a few 'aww's and adoring glances as she and Wade had both had a contest to see who could roar the loudest, the merc holding the birthday girl up in his strong arms as they did so.

Right now, Wade grinned and grasped Emily around the middle, before lifting her and placing her gently onto his shoulders so that she could take a good look at the penguins over the wall.

"The lions?" said Wade with a nod, grasping her tiny feet, steadying her, as she dripped strawberry ice cream all down his shirt.

"Yesh, Waydee Daddy liyon and Mommy ish Mommy liyon!" said the hyped-up three year old with a happy squeal, bouncing up and down on Wade's broad shoulders.

Missy chanced a glance at Wade.

She could tell he loved it when Emily referred to him as a Daddy.

Not directly of course, she had never called him it outright, and neither of them would force it of course, but nevertheless, Wade always had the stupidest smile on his face every time it happened.

"Nice. So does that make _you_ the little lion cub?" asked Wade looking enamoured with the tiny girl sat up on his shoulders. "I thought you were a baby- _bear_?"

But Emily shook her head. " I not ber, silly Waydee," she said with a giggle, dripping more ice cream down Wade's shirt.

The merc gave a chuckle as the trio moved off to look at the zebras.

All three of them happier than they ever had been, looking today, like the most perfect family imaginable.

Nothing could mess this up for them now…

But what none of them seemed to notice, was a man, stood with his own partner and tiny daughter, staring over at the three of them…

….his piercing blue eyes following them carefully as they went….

* * *

 **Thank so much to jeffhardyluvsme, petite yoyo, Legolas Girl 31, TheHappyKitty, dancindonna, Smaug The Golden, The Judge of Fics, Guest, AngiMK, Carlypso, jonstar1034, AngyDent13 and Raging Raven for reviewing the last chapter.**

 **That's my last upload before the holidays, so I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas and leave me a present by commenting below with what you thought about this chapter. Don't worry I promise I'm not done yet!**

 **I write because I love Deadpool, and love the idea that I'm giving you all a different aspect of Wade's personality and life. And I can only hope I'm do him justice!**

 **So see you in the new year and thanks for an amazing 2016 guys, I am so grateful each and every day for all your support!**

 **Please review! :)**


	32. Chapter 32

The year had whipped by before Missy and Wade's eyes, and before they knew it, they had crept past Summer, Halloween (with Emily going out 'trick or treating' for only the second time in her life), and had slipped into late Fall.

The nights were growing colder, and a chilly wind whipped around the city. Missy had made sure that every day Wade remembered to dress Emily in her warmest little boots, scarf and mittens if they went out anywhere.

But as the nights drew in, it seemed as though a bell was tolling for Missy, getting louder and louder with every day that passed.

It would soon be December, and Missy still had not found a job.

She had one more interview at the end of the week for an admin position in the newly-built Stark Towers, working for a government agency called SHIELD.

She highly doubted she'd even get through to the interviews, but after much thought, she had decided to apply. What was the worst that could happen? She'd get rejected? And well, that was nothing new.

Missy gave a sigh as she turned the key in the lock and pushed open the door to her apartment.

The place was empty, and flicking on the light, she saw that there was no sign of either her three year old daughter _or_ her mercenary boyfriend.

After having just _the_ most perfect ten months together, both Missy and Wade were more in love than ever before. There was no denying it. She had fallen for him completely…. and so had Emily. The toddler was besotted with Wade…..just absolutely.

He was now such a constant in her life she barely remembered a world in which he wasn't there.

Missy placed her keys back into her purse and closed the front door behind her, strutting through the empty room, almost tripping over a pair of Wade's crocs as she did so.

"Ugh," she said, kicking the blue monstrosities aside with her patent high-heeled foot.

Despite Wade still keeping his old apartment across the hallway, his presence in Missy's life, in her home, had also become a constant. He practically lived here with them. He had a spare key and only really slept at his place when he returned battered and bloody from a late-night job.

For that at least, Missy was grateful.

Blood was a bitch to get out of white sheets.

Missy tugged off her beige trench coat and flung it over the back of the couch, before heading into the kitchen and pulling open the fridge door.

She had leftovers she could knock up for dinner tonight and that would save her cooking at least.

The caramel-blonde woman, grabbing a carton of orange juice and a glass from the drainer, poured herself a drink, just as she heard the front door swing open.

Suddenly there was a loud rustling and the sound of something (Wade most likely) bashing into her hallway side-table, knocking what sounded like a stack of magazines and a pillar candle or two, to the floor.

Missy gave a frown, placing down her glass, and padding back into the living room.

"What the-?"

Missy gaped at the sight that met her eyes, for piling through the door was Emily, followed by Wade, who was currently carrying a ginormous Christmas tree over his shoulder.

The merc looked up at her suddenly, flashing her an award-winning grin.

"Hey there, Yummy-Mommy," he said in playful tone, giving the tree behind him a tug, trying to squeeze it through the front door. "Thought we'd bring you back a Christmas surprise."

Emily approached her Mom, waddling up to her on chubby legs and giving Missy a charming smile, remarkably similar to Wade's.

"Chwishmash twee!" she uttered happily, the slightest of slurs to her voice, which wasn't unusual for her.

But Missy glanced back over at Wade, shooting him an unimpressed look.

"Its November, Wade…" she said shaking her head incredulously.

But the merc gave an easy shrug, giving the tree one last tug, pulling it through the open doorway, but covering Missy's cream carpet in pine needles in the process.

"Yeah, but I remember how much of a Scrooge you were last year, not even _having_ a tree until I gave you mine," he said in a teasing tone. "So I thought, what better to get you into the festive spirit than the smell of fresh pine and a fucking shitload of pine needles for you to clean up!"

But Missy tutted, folding her arms across her chest.

"This thing'll be dead before Christmas," she said scolding as Wade dragged the enormous tree past her. "And where will we even put it? It's huge!"

Wade looked over at her. "Definitely not the first time you've said that, right? _Right?"_ he nudged her in the ribs as he moved past her, but Missy shucked away from his advances.

"Don't even mess with me, Wade Wilson!" she said pointing a finger at him and giving a huff. She bent down and lifted Emily up into her arms, giving her a cuddle. "Remind me why I'm with you again?"

Wade flashed her another smile, finally dropping the heavy tree to the floor with a crash. "Because I'm adorable, fiendishly sexy, I've got a fucking amazing personality…I could go on-"

"Please don't," snapped Missy, rolling her eyes at him once again.

"…I surprise you with romantic gifts like this one," said the merc continuing anyway and gesturing at the gigantic Christmas tree.

"What? Bringing an enormous _shrub_ into my apartment? I'm supposed to be swept off my feet by that am I?" said Missy turning away from Wade and carrying Emily off into the kitchen. Not giving the merc the satisfaction of sticking around to wait for his response.

But she heard Wade following close behind her, ready to reply anyway.

Missy picked up her glass of juice, ready to take a sip, before Emily reached out for it, making grabby hands. Missy offered the juice to the toddler instead, watching her carefully as she took a big gulp.

Wade, meanwhile leant up against the doorframe, arms now folded over his broad chest, beaming.

"Baby….Sweetheart….moon of my life…" he murmured in a goading voice as Missy cocked an eyebrow up towards him warningly. "I was just trying to bring a bit of the festive spirit into this place a smidge early this year."

Missy gave a sigh and paused for a second.

"Before we _can't_ afford it _next_ month, you mean?" she said quietly.

She was right of course. She would be out of a job by this time next month by the looks of it, and money was already pretty tight.

But Wade looked nonplussed.

"Naaah," he said waving a hand at her comment dismissively. "You underestimate the amount of jobs I've been taking on lately. The ol' Wade Wilson pay- pal account is looking pretty padded out at the moment, so Christmas will be on me this year."

Missy stared at the merc for a long moment, blinking.

He really was amazing, and as much as he teased her and drove her crazy, like aaaaall the time, he really did care for the pair of them, more than she realised sometimes.

"Thanks, Wade," she said, tilting her head to the side, letting her long blonde hair trail down her shoulder, where Emily instantly grabbed for it with her sticky hands.

Wade smiled back and pushed himself away from the doorframe and strolled over towards the pair of them slowly.

"Don't mention it," he said in an easy tone. "You can thank me in my favourite extra-special way later…."

He shot her a wink, wrapping his arms around Missy's waist, Emily between the pair, sucking on Missy's long hair.

Missy smirked, feeling his fingers dance along the hem of her blouse, making for her bare skin beneath.

"But you know what this means, don't you?" he said in a playful tone, raising his eyebrows towards her.

Missy glanced up into Wade's long face questioningly, as he grinned back at her.

Suddenly, the merc lifted a large tacky-looking Christmas bauble with the words 'Happy Holidays from Madam Misty's Busty Babes,' emblazoned across it, seemingly from nowhere, holding it in front of Missy's nose.

"We get to use my _shockingly_ terrible decorations again this year," he said in a cheerful voice, giving a nod. "Excited?"

But Missy merely gave a sigh, ignoring his comment and strolled past him, giving his shoulder a bump with her own as she did so.

She looked at Emily, pulling her hair out of the toddler's mouth and holding her face close her own.

"I think this year we should invest in some _proper_ Christmas decorations, shouldn't we, baby?" said Missy in carrying voice, shooting Wade a look over her shoulder as she did so. "Seeing as Wadey has got so much disposable income…."

The merc turned, still grinning, and watched them go.

"But in the meantime….maybe _someone_ can get this tree _off_ my living room floor!" yelled Missy loudly as she turned the corner and almost went toppling over the ginormous spruce, taking up her entire apartment.

"Like, now, Wilson!"

Wade gave a gulp, his grin disappearing, before reluctantly following the pair of them into the living room, and doing as he was told….

But what neither Missy nor Wade noticed, on that darkening Monday evening in mid-November, was a figure standing in the shadows across the street, watching the front door to Missy's and Wade's apartment building….

In fact, he had been watching since Missy had gone inside, fifteen long minutes ago…

* * *

 **Happy New Year all. Hope you enjoyed the holidays!**

 **Thanks to Legolas Girl 31, TheHappyKitty, smaug the golden, Guest, RomansBride, srosal1, dancindonna, petite yoyo, AngiMK, jonstar1034, Raging Raven, XxxXCherriesXxxX, QueenBeee222 and Guest for reviewing the last chapter.**

 **This one was a bit of a filler I know, but more to come soon.**

 **Please review :)**


	33. Chapter 33

It was late by the time Missy finally got home on a dark Friday evening.

She had just been for her interview at the newly-refurbished Stark Towers, just for an admin job at SHIELD, but it was something at least.

The interview stages had actually taken most of the day, with Missy and the other candidates being put through their paces, completing tasks she highly doubted she would ever have to do in her day-to-day work.

Besides she also highly doubted she'd even _get_ the job, but regardless, it had still been a great insight into the workings of this usually highly-secretive government agency.

Dressed in a dark navy blouse, navy pencil skirt and nude heels, with a beige trench coat over the top, Missy climbed the last few steps up towards her apartment, just as her phone began to buzz inside her pocket.

Adjusting her handbag on her shoulder slightly, she reached inside her pocket and pulled out her cell.

 ** _Wade calling…_**

Missy couldn't help but smile to herself as she lifted the phone to her ear.

"Hi Wade," she uttered in a happy voice.

"Hey, Mama-Bear. How was your interview?" came Wade's playful tone over the line. "Fall for Captain Underpants or the Iron Giant while you were there?"

Missy smirked, rolling her eyes as she rounded the corner, reaching her hallway landing and fishing inside her purse for her keys.

"It was fine," she said in a nonchalant voice, ignoring the latter comment. "I doubt I'll get it, but-"

"You'll fucking get it," said Wade in an easy tone. "I know it. They'd be fucking out of their minds not to give it to you."

Missy smiled to herself as she crossed the hallway and opened the door to her apartment.

"We'll see…" she murmured, as she flicked on the light and peered around the empty living room. "What are you guys doing out so late anyway? Isn't it almost someone's bedtime?"

In the background, Missy could hear the sound of Emily babbling along beside Wade.

"Well, _someone_ wanted chocolate milk before bed," said Wade in a goading voice, tutting playfully. "So how about we pick up your gorgeous Mommy some ice-cream to celebrate her getting a new job? Huh?"

"Yesh, I layk ice cweam, Waydee," Missy heard Emily say about as unsubtly as possible.

Missy rolled her eyes.

"I haven't even got the job yet Wade-" she began, but the merc cut across her once again.

"Nahhh, but it's pretty much a given, right? I mean, come on, who wouldn't give my super-sexy girlfriend a job?" he said firmly. "Right, well we'll be back in ten, with six pints of cookie dough ice cream. Laters, Baby-Mama!"

Missy gave a sigh, but before she could argue, Wade had already hung up on her.

She gave an irritated huff, peeling of her coat and hanging it on a hook behind the front door, before looking around.

God this place was a mess, she thought to herself.

Toys littered the entire floor and Missy knew for a fact that her kitchen sink was full of dirty dishes.

Well, that was what you got when you hired a sitter that you didn't _actually_ pay…

Giving a chuckle, she bent down and picked up a couple of brightly coloured bricks from the floor. She knew that if she or Wade stepped on _those_ later with bare feet, there would be no amount of swear words that would suffice.

But Missy had barely made it across the room to chuck the items into Emily's toy basket, when there came a sudden loud bashing on her front door.

She froze, giving a gulp, her eyes blinking a couple of times.

Perhaps it was Wade, kidding around…

Right?

But there came another loud banging against the wooden door, harder this time, and through a crack beneath she could see a shuffling of footsteps. Just a single person.

Missy cautiously moved over to the door as it shuddered under the force of the knocks once again.

She worried at her lip with her teeth. What if it was someone for Wade?

She knew that merc always got himself in deep with various horrid characters, but this was the first time that one had come knocking on their door…

Missy knew she could wait of course, until Wade got home. But today he would not be alone…

There was Emily now…and god knows what would happen to her if she got caught up in the middle of a fight….or worse.

Missy didn't want to think about that.

So taking a deep breath, Missy made up her mind and moved tentatively over to the door.

She paused a second…

And another…

The hammering on the wood filled the apartment once again.

And before Missy could stop herself she had pulled open the door quickly….

But she froze…

Her blood running cold….

Barely even believing what she was seeing.

Her breath hitched in her throat and every horrible, nasty, painful memory came flooding back to her….

Feeling her mouth go dry, she gave a hard gulp…..before finally uttering the word she had thought she would never utter again….because he was gone….out of their lives now….or at least she had thought so…

"S-Scott? W-What are you doing here?"

* * *

 **Thanks so much to QueenBeee222, dancindonna, starrat, jonstar1034, Guest, tallon2692, petite yoyo, Legolas Girl 31, Guest, AngiMK, Raging Raven, Carlypso and Smaug the Golden for reviewing that last chapter.**

 **Bit of a cliff-hanger, sorry. And sorry it was short. I hope you all have a lovely weekend!**

 **Please review :)**


	34. Chapter 34

"S-Scott? W-What are you doing here?" uttered Missy, her face full of shock, her heart pounding inside her ribcage.

This couldn't be happening. He couldn't be here….

Scott. The man she had loved…what felt like a lifetime ago.

The man who had left her and his own daughter because he they went good enough for him. Because they weren't perfect enough.

Scott, who had dark hair and the most piercing blue eyes, stared up at her smirking.

He leaned up against the doorframe, almost holding himself up.

He was drunk. Really drunk.

His eyes were slightly glazed, and even from here Missy could smell the overpowering scent of whisky on his breath.

He moved his weight from foot to foot, trying to focus on her.

"I see you've moved on," he uttered in a low, slurred voice, letting out a cocky smirk. "I _would_ say this looks like a nice place,but-"

He trailed off as his eyes took in the less-than modern shared hallway, with it's red threadbare carpet and peeling walls.

Missy gulped, trying to keep herself from bursting into tears.

"What are you doing here, Scott?" she repeated.

After all this time what was he doing here? And in this state too?

"I just saw you around," he said with a shrug, blinking at her a couple of times, that smug-smile still there. "Thought we should...catch up…"

He looked over her shoulder and into her apartment.

"… Really though, I'm surprised this was all you could manage. Thought you'd have tried to make something of yourself after all this time?" he said snidely. "Or did me leaving you, really hit you _that_ hard?"

He let out a cruel laugh that cut through Missy like a knife.

His sour, stale breath wafted over her as he lowered his blue eyes so that they bored into hers.

Missy began to tremble. But she wasn't going to be that easy to take down.

"You left us Scott," snapped Missy loudly, finding her voice. "Me _and_ Emily. You told us you didn't want us anymore. W-What did you expect would happen? T-That I would go off and find myself a billionaire husband and move to a mansion in Beverley Hills?"

But Scott barely reacted to her outburst, merely giving her another sneering, dismissive look.

He licked his lips.

"And yet instead, you you find yourself some fucking lowlife piece of trash to fuck instead. How apt. You're pretty pathetic you know that?" he spat, swaying about slightly on the spot.

At this, Missy's heart broke. Even after this time she could feel Scott getting under her skin, provoking her, taunting her. And it was working, whatever this little game of his was.

Missy felt all that confidence, all that pride and ferociousness she had built up over this past couple of years, come crashing down around her.

"…Letting him look after _our_ daughter?" Scott continued, shaking his head disapprovingly.

But at this, Missy's eyes snapped up towards his.

She gave a growl.

" _Our_ daughter?" she said suddenly. " _Our_ daughter?! She's _my_ daughter, Scott! You never wanted her, you have nothing to do with her. Wade's more of a father to her than you've ever been. Don't you dare even talk about her!"

Missy was breathing hard, her teeth gritted, her chest rising and falling heavily.

But Scott did nothing but stare back, giving her a hollow smile.

He paused for a second. His eyes travelling over Missy's furious features, but he knew her too well….

He suddenly took a step towards her, his face a mere inch from her own.

"She'll always be mine, you realise that?" he said, as Missy felt his hot breath upon her face. "Don't fucking kid yourself that you could ever find anyone better than me. You and that Wade guy deserve each other. And, with what's wrong with that kid, you're lucky you found anyone at all-"

The sound of Missy's hand suddenly colliding with Scott's cheek, reverberated through the otherwise silent corridor.

"Get the fuck out of here Scott," said Missy, teeth bared.

No one, in the world was allowed to talk about Emily like that. _No one._

She shoved him backwards with all her strength.

She hated him. With very breath in her body she hated him.

Missy almost half expected Scott to lash out, angry, almost bracing herself for the it never came.

Instead the blue eyed man merely dragged himself to his feet, righting himself, and _laughed_.

Which somehow was worse...

He blinked heavily at her, her gaze roving across Missy's features.

"See you around... _Melissa_ ," he said,grinning a poisonous grin, before suddenly turning around on the spot and heading back down the staircase, and out of sight.

Missy stood there heart pounding,merely staring at the spot that Scott had vacated just a few seconds ago….until she finally, after an age, heard the door downstairs slam shut, three flights down.

It was only then did Missy carefully close her own front door, giving a gulp.

And when she had shut out the world and more importantly Scott, Missy then placed her shaking hands to her face and burst into tears, sliding down the wooden door and collapsing to the floor in shattering sobs.

* * *

"Hey we're back. And _someone_ is ready for bed," came Wade's sing-song voice as he shoved open that same front door no more than five minutes later. "In fact, she complained she was sleepy the moment we got to the grocery store and pretty much zonked out as soon as I lifted her up."

Wade who was holding Emily against his chest with one hand, and held a large brown paper bag full of ice cream and chocolate milk in the other, gazed around the quiet apartment.

He gave a frown and he pushed the front door gently shut behind him.

"Missy?" he called in a hushed tone, moving into the empty living room.

Still nothing.

Placing Emily gently down onto the couch and stroking back her tuft of brown hair from her face, he stood up straight and walked over towards the kitchen, that frown line still lingering between his brows.

The place was eerily quiet...

"Hey," came a sudden voice from behind him and Wade turned to see Missy coming out of her bedroom, smiling.

He breathed a sigh of relief.

He didn't trust this neighborhood one bit sometimes.

But there was something different about Missy tonight, something about the way she held herself, something about the way she couldn't quite seem to catch his eye…

Wade titled his head slightly, trying to read her, but at this moment, it was like she had closed herself off to him…

She merely gave a bright smile, nudging his shoulder playfully and taking the grocery bag from him.

"She _does_ look zonked," Missy said, giving a chuckle, and glancing over at the sleeping Emily, before moving off towards the kitchen.

But Wade caught her arm gently, stopping her in her tracks.

"You ok?" he asked her, his eyes roving over face. He could see that her eyes were slightly red.

Had she been crying?

Fuck.

But Missy merely smiled and gave a stretch, pulling her arm gently from his grasp.

"I'm fine," she said, standing up straight and pressing a quick kiss to Wade's stubby cheek. "Just tired is all. Right, so shall we go watch a movie or something, I can tell you _aaaaaall_ about SHIELD and how I swear I caught a glimpse of Captain America's butt going into the elevator earlier?"

Wade grinned, but inside his heart was pounding fast. There was something wrong and he knew it.

But he would play along...for now.

He looped his arm around Missy' shoulder tugging her into him.

"Oh _fuck_ yes, tell me everything, Mama Bear..."

* * *

 **Thanks so much to Guest, Natasha, Guest, Guest, Smaug the Golden, Raging raven, jonstar1034, Carlypso, Nameless, KatieR, AngiMK, petite yoyo, dancindonna, srosal1, Queenbeee222, The Happy Kitty, Legolas Girl 31 and Romans Bride for reviewing that last chapter.**

 **More coming VERY soon!**

 **Please review :)**


	35. Chapter 35

It was early morning, and Missy lay in bed listening to the lightest sound of snowfall against the darkened window pane.

She had her eyes open, her head resting on the palm of her hand, just staring…

December had flitted by so quickly and today it was the 22nd, just a few days before Christmas and more importantly, the last day of Missy's job.

She still had not heard anything about the SHIELD position and since it had been weeks, she presumed she had definitely not got the job.

She had applied for a few more things in the interim, but hadn't even received a call back from any of them.

But _this_ wasn't what was keeping Missy up, stopping her from sleeping soundly…

Scott's presence in her life, after all this time, had definitely taken its toll on her.

He had come here to taunt her…to mess with her. That was still easy for him.

She hadn't mentioned his visit to Wade, but she knew that the merc, who currently sleeping soundly beside her, could tell that there was something wrong.

Missy, due to worry, had been skipping meals, barley having any appetite at the moment. She had been snappy and had restless nights' sleep.

The worry that Scott would come back, was getting to her…grinding her down….in a way she thought she was finally free from.

The caramel-blonde woman blinked a couple of times, before pulling the sheets from her warm body and sitting up.

He eyes, in the hazy early morning light, flickered to Wade. The man who had been there for her, protected her, loved her…

But for some reason, she just couldn't find the right words to tell him how she felt at the moment….

Missy slipped out of bed, grasping up her robe from a chair and shucking it over her bare shoulders.

Padding quietly from the room, she pulled the door shut behind her, before heading next door into Emily's bedroom.

Even in the near-darkness, Missy could make out the tiny figure of Emily curled up beneath brightly-coloured unicorn bedsheets (that Wade had chosen for her, of course!).

Words couldn't even express how much Missy loved her daughter, she was perfect in every way, and how Scott couldn't see that was a mystery to her.

How perfect was his other daughter, in that case? Did she talk better? Walk better? Listen better? What was it that made _her_ so much better than Emily? So much more perfect?

Missy was angry and frustrated, but did she have a right to be? What kind of person was bitter at a one year old child she'd never even met? Maybe that was what the problem was? Maybe it wasn't Emily at all? Maybe it was Missy herself? Maybe everything she touched was poison? Maybe that was why Scott resented her…. Hated her… Would Wade go the same way?

Perhaps he would end up the same as Scott….hoping for more….

And why wouldn't he?

Emily wasn't his…

And neither was Missy really. They weren't married or even engaged.

It might only be a matter of time. Perhaps _that_ was the reason Wade hadn't proposed. Maybe he never would.

Maybe she _nor_ Emily were perfect enough for him… for anyone…

Missy pursed her lips, wiping at her eyes, as silent tears slipped down her cheeks.

"Mommy watchu doin' in ma rwm?" came a sudden tiny voice, breaking Missy quickly from her thoughts.

In the dim light she could just about make out two round green eyes staring up at her concernedly.

Missy gave a sniff, putting on a smile.

"It's ok, baby. Go back to sleep," she said kindly, but Emily was already wriggling herself out of her bedcovers.

"Noh, I noh shleepy noh mor," uttered the toddler, getting to her unsteady little legs and turning around on the spot. "I got bad dweams."

Emily picked up her stuffed bunny rabbit, before turning back around and holding it out towards Missy.

The caramel-blonde woman reached out, gently stroking the three-year-old's cheek.

"A bad dream? Oh no," she said in a sympathetic tone. "It's alright though it was just a dream, Mommy's here now."

"Yesh, therr werr monshturs and dey wer taykin' mee away," said Emily shaking her head, but looking almost nonplussed. "I noh lik it."

The toddler crouched down, clambering off of her bed, one leg dangling.

"I go see Waydey," she continued. "I wan' tell 'im"

But before the little girl could move, Missy had grabbed her around her middle, pulling her up into her arms and balancing her on her hip.

"No, Wade's asleep right now, sweetie," said Missy in a gentle voice, titling her head as she surveyed her tiny daughter. "How about we go get some breakfast instead?"

Emily looked up into Missy's face, about to question her, but a sudden voice from behind them made both of them jump.

"I could go for some breakfast too if you're offering?"

Missy turned, to see Wade stood in the doorway, bare-chested and grinning.

She was suddenly very aware of the tears that still lingered on her cheeks, but Wade's attention seemed solely on Emily, who was reaching out for him, her arms stretched out.

"Daddy, I got bad dweam!" she said in a pouting tone.

But at his words both adults stopped, dumbstruck.

What had she just said?

Had she just-?

But regardless or not as to whether it was a slip-up or not, Wade's face suddenly cracked into a wide, beaming smile, the corners of his eyes wrinkling.

And Emily was right after all. Wade pretty much was her Dad now. He played with her, took care of her, fed her… probably better than any biological father would do! And what was the difference really? Just because they weren't blood, didn't mean that they didn't love each other, undeniably.

Wade reached out, his fingers slipping beneath Emily's spotty, pyjama-clad underarms, and he lifted her to him, pulling her tightly into his chest.

"Awww baby-bear," he said, his voice filled with love. "You want me to sing you a song, take your mind off it?"

And with that, Wade broke into an off-key rendition of _Careless Whisper_.

But he only managed a few bars, before Emily broke it's fits of giggles, her chubby fingers reaching out and closing his lips tightly shut.

"Noh, Daddy, don' do dat!" she cried, in between giggles. "You ish' silly."

Missy stared at the pair of them, totally and utterly in love.

Had she really though for even a second that Wade would turn out to be another Scott?

He would never ever leave them like that. Of course he wouldn't…

He wasn't that type of guy…

As Emily continued to giggle, Wade's eyes drifted up to Missy's, looking at her for what seemed like the first time this morning.

Crap, would he see that she had been crying?

Missy turned away, under the pretence of making Emily's bed, but covertly wiping her face as she did so.

A second later, she stood up straight once more, turning around and flashing the merc a genuine smile.

He immediately shot her one back, his chocolate eyes warm and caring.

God she loved him and nothing, NOTHING would change that.

Missy stepped forward, her hand absent-mindedly slipping into Wade's free one, their fingers immediately entwining.

And with that, she wrinkled her nose, before pulling him from the room.

"Come on, _Daddy_ ," she purred into his ear. "Breakfast."

* * *

 **Thanks so much to jeffhardyluvsme, Natasha, dancindonna, QueenBeee222, Legolas Girl 31, petite yoyo, srosal1, MusicalPersephone, Guest, jonstar1034, Guest, TheHappyKitty, AngiMK, THE JUDGE OF FICS and Smaug the Golden for reviewing the last chapter. It really means a lot that you would take the time out to let me know what you thought of it.**

 **Next chapter coming soon, and I've got a feeling that** ** _that_** **wasn't the last we've seen of Scott…**

 **Please review**


	36. Chapter 36

Missy gave a sigh, switching off her workstation PC for the last time.

This was it. Her job now over.

She'd _had_ a year. It was her own fault really. Perhaps two hundred job applications hadn't been enough. Maybe it should have been more like four hundred, or even five?

But what could she do about that now?

Getting to her feet she picked up her purse from the floor beside her as people filed past her, wrapped up warm, ready to face the icy chill outside.

None of them even looked at her, or acknowledged her, and despite it being her last day at this company, a company she had been at for fifteen months, she hadn't received so much as a one-dollar, obligatory goodbye card.

But she didn't care now anyway. She hadn't made friends here. These were people who gossiped and cared about their bonus cheques and commission, and not about anything more.

Missy had managed to clear out her desk in less than a minute, so slipping on her cream-coloured coat, she picked up her purse an headed for the elevators.

She had already received a text from Wade to say that he and Emily were waiting outside, so Missy did not want to be held up. It was freezing, the snow having built up a good few inches since this morning and so Missy definitely didn't want Emily standing out in THAT for too long.

This morning had been a dream.

With Missy making waffles for them all, Wade had stood in the kitchen behind her whispering cheeky things into her ear as she made up the batter.

She had shoved him away playful as Emily, who had been sat up on the counter beside them, watched them, giggling. But despite Missy being up early she had _still_ somehow managed to be late for work, and had to rush to the bus, wading through the ever-falling snow in her high-heels as she did so.

The snow was still falling outside as she tugged her coat tighter around her and stepped out of the elevator and into reception, handing her security pass over for the last time.

The bleach-blonde receptionist barely even looked at Missy before she took the pass and turned away once more.

Missy let out another sigh, hitching her bag up over her shoulder. At least she could go home tonight and chill with her two favourite people.

And besides, Christmas was only two days away, and Missy had lots of wrapping to be doing.

She had bought Emily a giant teddy bear, amongst other things of course, and for Wade, she had purchased perhaps THE most tacky Christmas sweater imaginable. He would love that, she was sure of it.

Walking out of the double doors for the final time, it only took her a moment or two to spot Emily and Wade, standing hand in hand a, just a little way up the block.

Emily was bundled up in her pink coat, mittens, hat and scarf but still looked freezing cold. Missy could spot her tiny teeth chattering from a mile away.

Wade however, was stood in his usual sheepskin coat with nothing but a vest on underneath, free hand shoved into his black jean pocket.

"Hey, you two," said Missy strutting over to them, freezing herself, in tights and high heels. "You'll both look like snowmen if you stand out here any longer."

Emily, noticing Missy for the first time, shot her a wide beaming smile.

"Me an' Daddy made shnowmans today!" she said as Missy approached her, jumping up and down on the spot excitedly, as Wade grinned stupidly beside her.

"Yeah and I froze my ass off didn't I, you little monkey?" he said bending down and giving Emily's side's a little tickle, causing her to squeal. " _Someone_ thought the snowman would look better with my jacket on."

He stood up straight, turning to Missy, who immediately smiled back, pressing herself into him.

"Hi," he said, his lips lingering close to hers.

"Hi," Missy replied back, batting her eyelashes, her breath catching in her throat.

God she loved him.

Wade pressed a lingering kiss to Missy's soft lips.

As always, he tasted of cotton candy, and today the slightest hint of peppermint.

It only lasted for a second, but it was enough to warm Missy up, that was for sure.

She pulled away, blushing slightly. Geez, how did he always keep doing this to her? Even now.

"Alright then," said Missy biting her lip. "Shall we go home and warm up with some hot cocoa and a movie?"

She glanced down at Emily, who, it seemed, hadn't heard her.

Instead, the tiny toddler's attention was caught by something else…

Missy parted her lips slightly, swinging around, only to see a figure crossing the street towards them…

Waving at the tiny toddler…

A figure Missy recognised very well….

Very well, indeed.

Missy's heart immediately plummeted into her stomach.

She felt like she was going to puke.

No, no, no…..

This couldn't be happening…

Not now…

Missy took a step closer to Wade, pulling Emily back towards her, just as she had done the first time they had met Wade, in their hallway.

Back then, she had been protective of her little girl. And right now….well, things hadn't changed so much.

For here he was again.

 _Scott._

Coming back into Missy's life.

Messing with her.

Scott, much more sober than the last time she had seen him, came to a stop just in front of them.

Across his face was plastered a wide grin.

Missy gulped, her whole body tensing as the blue-eyed man crouched down right in front of them, looking directly at Emily.

"Hey there….kid," he said in a slick voice. "You remember me?"

Missy began to tremble and she almost _instantly_ felt Wade stiffen beside her.

He had worked it out. Of course he had. He wasn't stupid.

" _Oooh_ , if you are, who I fucking think you are," uttered the merc in a low and dangerous tone. "Then you'd better fucking turn around now and walk back into whatever fucking hole you crawled out of."

But Scott just raised a single eyebrow up towards the merc.

"You always use that sort of language around the….kid?" he said with a loud tut tut.

Scott's eyes travelled up towards Missy.

"I _said_ he looked like a lowlife, didn't I?" he said in a smooth tone. "You remember? When I came to see you the other day."

Oh Scott knew exactly what he was doing. He knew he would get a rise out of Wade one way or another.

Missy's stomach lurched, as Scott gazed over lazily at Wade.

"Oh….what? Missy didn't tell you I came to see her the other day?" he said, raising both eyebrows this time, before turning back towards Emily.

From the corner of her eye, Missy saw Wade's jaw clench and a vein begin to throb at his temples.

Missy was well aware that Wade probably had a knife stashed away in his jacket pocket at the very least. She hoped for everyone's sake a knife was all it was, a gun in the hand an angry merc would not be a good idea right now…

"Do you know who I am?" Scott asked Emily suddenly, interlacing his fingers together before him.

Missy's heart thudded.

"Scott…please…" pleaded Missy.

She didn't want Emily to know him.

None of this was fair.

 _He_ walked out on _them._ Abandoned them.

And for him to do _this_ ….now….

"… _I'm_ you father," continued Scott with a nod. "Your Daddy."

Emily, who peered out from behind Missy's coat shyly, looked up at Wade and Missy a little confused.

"Noh, Waydee mai Daddy," she uttered in a quiet little voice, giving a frightened sniff. "He tak me to park."

But Scott gave a sneering laugh, placing his hands to both knees and easing himself to his feet, his eyes still on Emily.

"Whatever your…. _Mommy_ …" Scott uttered in poisonous voice. "…or this, _fucktard_ of a guy, tells you. _I'm_ your Daddy, alright, kid? You're mine, and don't you- OOF!"

There was a loud thud as Scott was thrown into the wall beside him hard.

"Wade!" cried Missy loudly, in fright.

Wade, who had gripped Scott tightly by the throat, now had the blue-eyed man pinned to the wall, a knife held against his cheek.

"Go on," sneered Scott goadingly. "Do it Asshole! Right in front of the kid-UGH!"

But he was cut off as Wade pulled him back slightly before shoving him into the freezing cold brick wall hard.

"Her name's _Emily_ ," growled Wade furiously.

But Scott barely seemed to be listening. Missy could see his chest rising and falling hard.

"Do you know who I am?" said the merc in a dark voice, into Scott's ear.

Wade was angry, no, furious, his shoulders tensed and his eyes black.

It was only just gone 5pm and the street was fairly busy, still full of passers-by going about their business, most of them hardly noticing the commotion that was going on here right beside them.

"I couldn't give a shit who you-" started Scott, before his face was shoved roughly into the brick wall, the gleaming blade being pressed into his other cheek, hard.

Behind Missy, Emily gave a sudden wail of fright beginning to cry.

"My name is Wade Wilson. I'm a fucking ex-special forces operative. And to be honest, having a job like _that_ didn't give me much in the way of essential skills that most people are looking for on the old resume…." said the merc, in a low voice. "But what I _did_ find is that I slipped pretty fucking neatly into a job where I fuck people up and get paid to do it. Because _that_ , I am good at. And I'm afraid to say you picked the wrong fucking family to mess with. Because long before I met Missy or her gorgeous daughter, you fucked up their lives big time. Told them they weren't good enough. And it took me a long, long fucking time to try and get Missy to trust me…and all that was because _you_ fucked up. You messed with her head. And well now, maybe I should make sure you don't get a fucking chance to do that to her, or in fact anyone else again."

Wade pressed the icy blade deeper into Scott's cheek, drawing blood.

Emily gave another wail from behind her, but Missy was just stood there in shock, trembling in fear watching the whole situation, eyes widened like a rabbit in the headlights.

"How about I make sure that pretty little fucking mouth of yours, can't fuck up their lives again, huh?" said Wade, baring his teeth, his grip tightening on Scott's neck.

"Wade…" breathed Missy, her heart thudding.

Oh god, he was going to do something stupid wasn't he?

Wade gave a growl, pressing his face closer to Scott's as the blade pierced deeper into the dark-haired man's flesh.

"Please…Wade…" Missy said once again, her breath hitching in her throat.

But suddenly she stopped…

Her blood running cold.

No….

Apart from the noise of a few passing cars and the soft sound of snow falling all around them….the street was silent…

No…

Just a second ago there had been another noise….

Another noise that was now missing….

No…please…no….

She swung around…

Her eyes desperately searching around her….

"Emily?!" said Missy suddenly, breathing hard. "EMILY!"

She gazed up and down the street.

Oh god, no….

Please no….

Her eyes darted this way and that as she spun around on the spot…

But it was no use.

Emily was gone.

* * *

 **Thank you so much to The Happy Kitty, jeffhardyluvsme, Guest, dancindonna, Legolas Girl 31, petite yoyo, Lucy, Ranging Raven, Guest, jonstar1034, Natasha and Smaug the golden.**

 **Sorry to leave you on a cliffhanger, More to come soon!**

 **Please review :)**


	37. Chapter 37

"Emily!" yelled Missy at the top of her lungs, fear coursing through her entire body.

This couldn't be happening.

It couldn't.

At her cry, Wade, who still had a blade pressed tightly to Scott's cheek, turned to look at her, his face suddenly full of concern.

"It's Emily," cried Missy, staring at him, her eyes suddenly brimming with tears, her breathing becoming shortened and shallow. "She's gone. She was here and now she's- EMILY!"

A couple of passers-by, clutching their coats tightly around themselves amidst the falling snow, glanced at her looking alarmed, but Missy didn't care.

Her little girl was gone. Just like that.

In this weather, and within the dimmed light of early evening, Missy couldn't even make-out in which directions he had fled in.

From the corner of her eye, she saw Wade let go suddenly of Scott, causing the dark-haired man to slip down the wall, tumbling unsteadily from his feet.

In a second, Wade had closed the gap between himself and Missy, his hand letting the knife slip to his side, his other clutching her forearm tightly.

"What do you mean she's gone?" said the merc, breathing hard, his chocolate eyes boring into hers. "Didn't you see which way she went?"

Neither of them even noticed Scott pull himself once more to his feet, and slink silently away…

Missy, her heart thudding painfully in her chest, glared at Wade.

"No, I didn't….and don't you dare accuse me…." she bared her teeth at the merc, before tugging her arm from him and pacing swiftly up the street.

"Emily!" she cried loudly once again, her heart almost tearing in two. "Emily!"

"Emily!" cried Wade, from a few feet behind her, cupping his hands around his mouth.

It was freezing now, the snow starting to swirl around them, making it hard to see anything.

Missy walked in her high heels, her feet pretty much numb, but she didn't care. Her little girl was missing. The one thing she cared most about in the whole world.

"Maybe she's gone home," she heard Wade cry from behind her, as Missy stopped at the corner of the street, looking this way and that. "Maybe one of us should try there."

Perhaps Wade was right, maybe she _had_ gone home.

But in this weather, how would she even know the way?

The falling snow was _more_ than disorienting, it was as if a blanket had fallen over their eyes, making almost everything indistinguishable.

Missy's heart ached.

This couldn't be happening. It just couldn't.

"Emily!" she yelled louder this time, at the top of her lungs.

But it was no use.

It was getting quieter now, the crowds obviously heading home…inside…away out of the freezing cold.

Emily couldn't be out in this. Even with a coat on, it was too cold now and only getting colder.

"EMILY!" Missy yelled again, her lungs straining to hold onto any breath.

Suddenly a hand touched her arm.

"I should head this way and you go that way," said Wade as Missy swung around, coming face to face with him, wincing against the snow, now whipping at his stubbly face. "See if we can see where she went. She can't have gone far."

He was right, she was only three and on her tiny legs it was unlikely she could have walked that far ahead of them.

But it wasn't how far she could walk that was the worry. What if someone had found her wandering alone? This city was home to some of the worst kind of people…and what if-

Missy gave a gulp. She didn't want to think about, _what if_.

She gave a sharp nod, staring at Wade through the swirling snow, before tugging herself away from him once again.

She began to walk….

* * *

The minutes ticked by as Missy wandered the dark, freezing cold streets calling out. He teeth were chattering hard and she could barely feel her hands or feet but she kept on going. She had to.

She didn't even know how long she was out there for, calling Emily's name….but it must have been over an hour….maybe two….

Missy, wading through almost a foot of snow now, gave a loud sob, clutching at her mouth with trembling fingers.

This wasn't the way it was supposed to be…

Two days from Christmas…

Tears slipped down her cheeks, freezing almost instantly to her face.

"Missy," came a sudden voice a few feet away.

She swung around, her heart leaping. It was Wade. Perhaps he had found her.

But as she turned, she saw the merc, jacket bundled up around him, his hands shoved deep into the pockets..….but no Emily.

Missy let out an audible sob and scrunched her hands at her sides in worry.

Wade shook his head. "I'm sorry, I tried everywhere, I just-"

He trailed off. Even Wade and his smart mouth couldn't handle this.

"We should call the police," said Missy hitching in a breath suddenly, but Wade took a step into her.

"I don't think we should," he said bluntly, causing Missy to almost instantly narrow her eyes at him.

Wade and the police didn't really mix. It was probably the numerous knives and guns he kept stashed around his apartment and the fact that his job didn't really lend itself to police intervention.

But Missy was furious….angry….

"You expect me not to call the police when my daughter is missing?" she said loudly, tears pouring down her cheeks. "This is your fault Wade! You attacked Scott….she was frightened-"

"My fault?!" said Wade, his brow furrowing. "After all the damage that guy's done to you, and what, you just expected me to stand there and let him interfere in our lives like that!?"

Another tear poured down Missy's cheek, but she swiped it away furiously.

"You threatened him with a knife Wade, in front of our daughter!" she cried loudly, jabbing him in the chest with her perfectly polished fingernail.

But Wade scowled. "Whose daughter are we talking here? Yours and mine…or yours and _his_?" he snapped, his jaw clenched tightly. "Why the hell didn't you tell me he'd come to see you? Huh?"

Missy gave a gulp but glared back at Wade, feeling defensive.

"I was scared, Wade…." she said in a quiet voice, her tone wavering.

"Fucking Christ, we're supposed to be a team!" he yelled loudly.

By the now the snow was falling hard once again, coating both their shoulders in a heap of white. But right now neither of them even noticed…both their eyes were on the other's glaring….angry….

It was their fault…both their faults and they knew it….

There was a heat between them…..a raging anger…..and the kind of tension you could cut with a knife.

But it wasn't a knife that finally cut through the silence that seethed from them.

It was instead a beeping coming from Wade's pocket, causing both of them to jump, and for Missy to turn and begin to walk away.

She couldn't deal with this right now…any of it.

It was too much.

She pulled her purse off her shoulder and began to root around inside for her cell phone.

She was calling the police. She didn't care what Wade said.

* * *

Wade was angry.

After everything she'd said to him about Scott…..all that stuff she'd told him…..and then for her to just turn around and meet with him behind his back…

He knew that right now she just needed someone to blame…..but it shouldn't be him. It should be _that_ asshole. The asshole that thought he could just interfere in their lives…..ruin everything they had built up together. But the worst thing about all this was, that he had succeeded.

And at so much of a cost.

Wade glanced at the screen of his cell.

 ** _'Weasel calling…'_**

The merc lifted the phone quickly to his ear.

"Weasel, I've got no time for-" he began in strained voice, but his barman friend cut across him.

"Emily…I know. She's here, Wade," he uttered hurriedly.

Wade's eyes widened and he looked directly at Missy, who had just pulled her phone from her purse.

She glanced back over towards him, her face unreadable.

"She's there?" said Wade loudly, pacing over towards the caramel-blonde woman as she turned her entire body towards him, her breath catching.

Wade felt his heart leaping inside his chest.

Puling his cell from his ear, he placed on speakerphone, leaning down, to speak. "Give us ten minutes and we'll be-"

"Wade," uttered Weasel, suddenly, breaking through the merc's sentence once again. But his tone now sounded urgent…..serious. "One of the regulars found her outside in the alleyway, she was hiding behind one of the dumpsters…..s-she looked like she'd been out there for at least an hour, maybe two…."

Missy clutched at her mouth, stepping back and giving a sob of fright.

Wade felt his heart thudding loudly in his ribcage.

"She was soaked through when they brought her in and she was freezing cold and wouldn't stop crying," said Weasel, his tone sounding pained. "Vanessa and I are taking her to the hospital right now, so you should meet us there. You should come as quick as you can…w-were trying to keep her conscious…"

Missy gave a cry of pain, clutching at herself.

"No, no, no" she murmured, shaking her head.

Wade ended the call as quickly as it had come, and it took a few seconds for the merc to properly react. To take all this in…

All those times he had been amongst the midst of the action….with people hurt or dying all around him….but this…this was somehow worse. To have this happen to someone you love….

Missy however, despite her pained reaction to the news, seemed to spring into action far quicker than Wade did, lifting her arm and hailing a nearby cab.

She seemed shaken and scared.

Wade could see her visibly trembling, and he wasn't entirely sure that that was because of the cold…

A yellow car pulled up beside them and Missy hauled open the door.

"I'll come with you," the merc uttered, taking a breath.

But Missy turned to him, her face set.

"No, Wade," she said, her eyes tearful and furious, and her shoulders tense. "She's my daughter….n-not yours. Just stay away from us right now…"

And with that, Missy slipped inside the cab and slammed closed the door.

It was only a mere second later that the car pulled away….

….leaving the merc stood there alone on the freezing cold street…as the snow fell all around him…..

* * *

 **Thanks to all who reviewed the last chapter: Queenbeee222, Legolas Girl 31, TheHappyKitty, Raging Raven, petite yoyo, AngiMK, srosal1, dancindonna, ChibiSpyStuff, Guest, TheDayDreamAway, jonstar1034, Smaug the golden, Bella Fantasia and Guest.**

 **Don't hate Missy. I think people cope with trauma in different ways….What do** ** _you_** **think?**

 **I hope that was ok though. More to come very, very soon…..**

 **Please review**


	38. Chapter 38

Missy's heart pounded as she ran through the gleaming hospital corridors.

The place smelled clean. Too clean.

It hit her nostrils as soon as she entered, reminding her of all that time she had spent in the hospital with her Mom, years and years before Wade or even Emily had come onto the scene.

Hospitals were never a good memory for her and that smell….it reminded her of times when Missy would sit here day after day worrying…in pain…then finally the time when she had walked out alone, her face streaked with tears…feeling hollow and abandoned.

It wasn't much different to the pain she was feeling right now if she was honest.

Her high-heels click-clacked down the empty hallway and she skidded around the corner, emerging beside a waiting room where two familiar faces stood, almost huddled together, their faces sallow and worried-looking.

They turned to look at her as she burst through the swing doors and into the waiting area.

"Where is she?" Missy uttered loudly, her eyes flickering between Vanessa and Weasel.

The bespectacled barman worried at his lip and it was Vanessa, the woman she had once thought Wade might have a relationship with, who stepped forwards.

The dark-haired woman's hand grasped Missy's arm gently.

"She's through there…" she said, gesturing with her head to the door just a few feet away from them. "The doctors have been in with her for a while-"

But Missy didn't even wait for Vanessa to finish her sentence, she tore her arm away, striding over and bursting into the room.

Her heart stopped.

Or at least it felt like it did.

For there, lying on a white bed, looking almost blue, was Emily. She was swaddled in blankets, with a silver blanket laid on top of her, her eyes closed.

Missy, barely noticing the two doctors standing at the foot of the bed in white coats talking in hushed voices, rushed over to Emily's side.

Her eyes seemed to flood with tears as she grasped up her daughter's hand. It was as cold as ice and felt even smaller than it normally did.

Missy gave a loud, uncontrollable sob.

"Mommy's here," she uttered in a whisper. "Mommy's here, baby."

How could she have let this happen?

To the person she loved most in the world?

All this was her fault.

As much as she had blamed Wade she knew none of this was on him. She had snapped…without even realising the damage she had done to their relationship now.

She wished to god that he was here with her…..here…to hold her…to tell her that everything was going to be ok.

But he wasn't….

And once again…that was no one's fault but Missy's.

She leaned forwards, brushing back the short tuft of brown hair from the toddler's temples.

At this two doctors gazed over at her, stopping their conversation abruptly.

"You're Emily's mother?" one of them murmured in a soft tone, as Missy's eyes flickered up towards them.

She brushed away tears, giving a shaky nod. "Yes, yes….I am."

The doctors' were both men, one younger, with short brown hair, and the other older, in his fifties most likely, with greying-stubble and glasses.

The older doctor stepped forwards, pursing his lips for a moment, before staring directly into Missy's eyes.

"How is she? W-Why isn't she awake?" Missy blurted out, before she could help herself.

But the doctor gave Missy a reassuring look.

"She's just sleeping right now," said the man in a slow careful voice. "Emily was out in the snow for a long time. She's very, very cold still but her temperature should rise back up to normal in about an hour or so."

Missy breathed hard.

"So she's ok?" she said, her heart thudding inside her chest.

This was good news right?

But the doctor's faces were both unreadable as Missy glanced between them, worry flooding over her once again.

It was now the turn of the younger, brown-haired doctor to step forwards.

"Like we said, Emily had been our in the cold for a long time and it looks as though it may have caused further deterioration of her hearing. We would need to do some more tests of course but…." The doctor trailed off as he took in Missy's face.

Missy was standing there still….like a rabbit caught in the headlights….

"….this was a likely eventuality somewhere down the line anyway," he continued. "Especially with her history of poor hearing….but I'm afraid to say, that over the next six months or so….without the help of some sort of hearing aid….Emily will like lose most, if not all, of her ability to hear."

Missy took a step backward, placing a trembling hand to her mouth.

She didn't know how to react to this news.

She had been warned years ago that this day would likely come….but not so soon…

Emily was only three years old for Christ's sake!

"We urge you to make Emily use her hearing aids…in both ear if possible-" said the doctor, with a hint of urgency in his voice.

But Missy shook her head.

She knew how much Emily hated her hearing aid.

She had pleaded with Missy…begged her to stop using it.

And Missy was in no way about to start forcing her own daughter to wear those things.

After the last time…Missy had vowed never again.

"No…." uttered Missy, in what was merely a whisper, shaking her head. "I-I can't…."

She looked back at the sleeping Emily, surrounded by beeping machines and tubes and wires….

"I'm so sorry, sweetheart." she said with a murmur. "This is all my fault…."

* * *

Wade Wilson trudged up the street, snow still falling all around him.

His heart seemed to pound in his chest…fast and unnatural….

Wade felt sick….dizzy…

It was if his entire world had been turned upside down in a matter of hours…

Missy had left him on the street…. just like that. Told him to stay away from them.

And that had broken his heart.

He cared for Emily more than anything….surely she knew that?

But yet again, Scott had wheedled his way into her life and manipulated her….messed with her head….

And now….well. he was going to pay.

Wade was furious with that man who had done all this.

The man who was to blame.

It hadn't taken Wade long to find his address. The merc was friends with some of the city's most untrustworthy people….but one of the things they COULD be trusted with, was to find info out on people when he needed it.

And now here he was…outside Scott's place.

The merc came to a standstill, staring up at the tall red-brick house.

It was in a nice part of town….three stories, with a several small stone steps leading up to the large green front door.

All this was so much nicer than the tiny apartment Missy lived in and Wade felt a bitter sting as he realised how well-off Scott must be, and how _he_ certainly did not have to scrape-by to make ends meet like _she_ had.

Wade's eyes were dark as he climbed up the snow-covered stone steps.

Footprints lay ahead of him….a man's footprint's.

Scott's footprints.

He was here then….

And he was going to pay for what he had done tonight.

Wade's hand instinctively went to the blade inside his pocket, making sure it was still there.

He was going to finish what he started, if it was the last thing he ever did.

It took Wade less than a minute to silently shimmy open the lock and creep quietly inside.

He took a deep breath.

The hallway was dark, but a little further ahead Wade could see a warm crack of light pouring out from underneath a door.

He was here…

Wade moved forwards…her heart steady, and his breathing regular.

He did things like this every day….this was nothing to him…..just another job.

He pushed open the heavy wooden door to find himself in a brightly-lit living room with a plush cream carpet, expensive looking drapes and a sleek sofa, all perfectly placed inside.

The room was empty, but the large flat screen TV was on, and an cold, unopened beer bottle sat neatly on the table, a slate coaster placed beneath.

Oh, he was definitely here.

Wade, took a step or two into the room….

He could feel an anger bubbling up inside him….

This man who had treated both Missy and Emily so poorly lived like this….

In utter luxury.

Of course he did.

Because that was just the way the world worked.

The merc gave a sudden growl as there was a creak at the far side of the room and a second door was pushed open.

He pulled a knife from his pocket, stalking across the room….ready to use it.

It had never been his intention at first….but now….

Scott appeared around the door, a bottle opener in his hand.

At first he didn't see Wade, but a second later he gave a yelp as he was thrown into the dark-wood cabinet behind him.

A large blue vase wobbled for a drawn-out second, before toppling to the floor with a crash, as Wade grasped Scott by the shirt collar and held the blade up to his face.

"You're a fucking piece of shit, you know that?" snarled Wade furiously.

His could feel his blood boiling.

The vein in his temple throbbing.

"You have fucked with them for the last time," he continued harshly, as Scott lifted his hands up to his face.

"Please…" said the dark haired man with a whimper, his eyes widening in shock.

Wade could feel him trembling within his grasp. Scared. Petrified for his life.

And so he should be.

Wade had never been this angry…..he knew that there was no stopping him now….he was going to kill this guy….

It wouldn't be his first, of course….but his last was years ago…..back when he was a Special Forces Operative….back when he was hired to do it. To kill….

Today this was different….he was emotionally attached to this one…and now… he was too far gone….

Scott gave another pathetic whimper…he wasn't so strong or cocky now that it was just the two of them here.

"Just give me one good reason why I shouldn't kill you?" growled Wade darkly, holding his face close to Scott's, about to press the blade into his throat…

The guy would never be able to give him an answer good enough.

His outcome was inevitable.

Wade might as well get it over and over with…

"Dadda?" came a sudden small voice from behind him.

A child's voice.

Wade instinctively swung around, letting go of Scott, thinking for a moment that it was Emily.

But it wasn't.

The merc's heart stopped beating for a second, as his eyes locked onto a small child, no older than two. She had a bob of dark brown hair and piercing blue eyes, and was clutching a large blue dog tightly to her chest.

"Dadda?" she uttered again, looking with wide eyes between the two men…. and more importantly at Wade's knife.

The merc stopped still, unable to move, staring straight at the little girl.

She, in that moment, reminded him so much of Emily….this toddler being the same age as Emily had been, when he had first met her and Missy in their hallway, all that time ago…

"Please…" came Scott's sudden voice from behind him. "Do what you like to me….but don't do anything to hurt her….I'm begging you."

At this Wade dropped the knife to his side.

This wasn't what he wanted.

What if this had been Emily watching someone threaten Wade like this…..someone coming into their home…where they felt safe…..?

Suddenly a woman a little younger than Missy appeared behind the little girl, stopping dead still the moment she saw Wade.

She was petite, with dark brown hair and expensive earrings, and her hands instantly went to the little girl, pulling her back towards her…..just like Missy had done with Emily earlier this evening.

It was in this moment that Wade knew he was done here….

He couldn't do this.

Not anymore.

With that, the merc shoved past the woman and the child…and without a second glance, stalked back out into the cold snowy night.

Wade's head spun….

He had almost killed a man…right in front of his own daughter…

If he'd have gone through with it…

God, he'd been so stupid.

Wade knew that he should have just followed Missy to the hospital….gone to see the little girl he considered his _own_ daughter tonight…and not come here.

His stomach filled with regret as he walked down the snow filled street.

Glancing at the blade in his hand, he tossed it suddenly into a nearby hedge. This shouldn't be how it was…

It was dark out now, the snow still falling thick and fast.

Wade, shoving his hands into his pockets, pulled out his cell phone.

He needed to call Missy to apologize…to tell her loved her, and that he was on his way.

But as she stared down at the screen, his vision suddenly swam in front of him…

The merc blinked a couple of times, stopping in his tracks.

But it was only a second before he swayed suddenly on the spot, nausea and dizziness overwhelming him.

….. and a second more, that his body hit the snow-covered ground with a thud…..

…as everything went black…...

* * *

 **Thanks to AngiMK, pyroleigh, Guest, jonstar1034, Legolas Girl 31, srosal1, Guest, ChibiSpyStuff, dancindonna, petite yoyo, Ranging Raven, Kisses N Cyanide, Carlypso, Smaug the Golden, QueenBeee222, HarleyQuinnHearts and Mia for reviewing the last chapter.**

 **Well…what did you think of this one…. ? More coming soon if you want it.**

 **Please review.**


	39. Chapter 39

Christmas came and went in a flash, and before anyone knew it, it was January. Cold and wet and dreary…

Missy stared out of the window at the darkening sky, clutching a hot mug of tea, but her eyes were out of focus….glazed over…..

She should be happy. She had only this morning, _finally_ gotten a call back from SHIELD telling her that she had been successful in her interview and that if she was willing, could she start in two weeks' time.

It was just an admin position. But it was certainly better than nothing. And in any other circumstances she would have been jumping for joy.

But not today.

It had been two weeks since she had seen or heard from Wade. Not since that fateful night that Emily had gone missing.

She had heard his front door opening and closing a few times across the hallway, but that was about it, no calls to messages….nothing…

It was all her fault…and she knew it.

She remembered the look on his face when she had told him to stay away…

She regretted those words, she really did….but it was done now.

Emily had been let out of hospital late on Christmas eve, but when they had gotten back to their apartment there had been no sign of the merc.

But Missy had been too stubborn to call him…too frightened, perhaps.

She was sure she would have seen him on Christmas Day but there came no signs from across the hallway that she had even come home at all.

She dreaded to think where he could be.

Drowning his sorrow at a bar perhaps….or even in someone else's bed.

That day, she had pushed thoughts like that from her head, but as the weeks drifted by, she presumed that something like that may be truer than she'd hoped.

She loved him…desperately. And for him to not even call over to see how Emily was….

Missy lifted the mug of steaming tea to her lips and glanced over her shoulder at the little girl sat on the couch playing with a teddy bear.

Emily had been quiet since she had come home from the hospital.

Whether it was the events of _before_ or _after_ her running off that had gotten to her, Missy wasn't sure.

Missy had tried as well as she could to try and prise information from the toddler, but it was no use.

Emily had not even mentioned Wade since or asked where he was, which was a worry.

But perhaps she was confused.

With Scott walking into their lives like that and giving the tiny two year old the shocking information that _he_ was her father, there was no wonder she was a little out of sorts. Something like that was life-changing…even to a kid her age.

And it most certainly showed….

Since her return, Emily had been moody and had taken to throwing temper tantrums, hurling toys and objects across the room, in what looked like frustration.

Missy had a feeling it was partly because of Scott and partly because she was having trouble hearing.

The doctors were right….Emily's hearing was deteriorating rapidly.

Missy had tried her best over the last few days to try and coax Emily to start wearing the new hearing aids she had been given at the hospital, but Emily, once again, had flat-out refused.

She had burst into tears, kicking and screaming until Missy had been forced to stop and remove them, packing them away once more.

Missy had never seen Emily like it. Not even during her 'terrible-twos'.

"You ok, baby?" Missy asked gently, strutting over to where the little girl was sat playing, lowering the mug and placing it down onto the coffee table.

Emily didn't answer, her eyes fixed on the fluffy bunny's large ears.

Missy gave a frown, worriedly reaching over and stroking the little girl's head…

But _that_ was a mistake….

Instantly Emily gave a jump of fright, almost leaping out of her seat, and in the process, knocking Missy's mug of tea from the coffee table….

The mug instantly shattered sending hot liquid and broken china across the wooden floorboards.

At the noise, Emily burst into tears.

Missy felt her heart sink.

She was so stupid. All this was her fault…

"Shhhh, sweetie," said Missy crouching down in front of Emily and placing her arms around her. "It's ok, it was Mommy's fault."

The little girl pressed herself into Missy, continuing to wail.

She was still so tiny and defenceless and Missy thought about how much she had gone through in such a short time.

So so much…

Pulling back slightly, Missy placed a hand gently to the toddler's cheek, swiping away falling tears with her thumb.

"It's ok," she said reassuringly once again. "Shhhh."

But Emily peered up at her with wet green eyes, her bottom lip jutting out sadly.

"I wan Waydee," uttered the little girl suddenly, causing Missy's breath to catch sharply in her throat.

It was her first time mentioning the merc in weeks and judging by her face, she was deadly serious.

Missy let out a long, steadying breath.

"Wade's not here right now, baby," she murmured. The words almost killing her.

But at this, Emily began to cry even harder.

Then, as if on cue, there came a sudden noise of the jangling of keys across the hallway, hurried footsteps and the slamming of a door.

It was him…

Wade…

Missy missed him like crazy, but he wouldn't want to see her…not now…

But he _might_ want to see Emily.

She stared at the little girl who was currently wailing, her head tossed back, her bunny now lying abandoned.

It was worth a shot.

Butterflies filled Missy's stomach as she got to her feet.

"Ok then," she breathed. "Shall we go and see if Wadey's around?"

Instantly, Emily stopped crying.

The two-year old sobbed a little, but her green eyes gazed skywards towards her Mom.

Missy pursed her lips together.

She needed to do this…..to apologise to him for the things she had said on that night.

She loved him…

So, taking Emily by the hand , and brushing down her own pretty dress, Missy headed over to the door, her heart pounding.

* * *

Wade Wilson flung down his keys onto the side before stopping still and closing his eyes, as a dizzy spell washed over him.

He had just returned from yet _another_ hospital appointment…despite the doctors telling him only last week that all this….well, it was pointless.

Wade had terminal cancer.

At first he had made a joke, tried to laugh it off, putting on his usual swagger to try and deflect the pain and the fear that was coursing through him.

He was dying….they'd given him two…maybe three months tops.

Three months left on this earth.

And yet here he was alone, stuck with his thoughts and nothing or no one else.

After the night that he had collapsed, cold and alone on the snowy street, blocks away from his house, he hadn't seen nor heard from Missy or Emily.

They probably wouldn't want anything more to do with him anyway.

As soon as the doctors had confirmed it….as soon as they had given him the news that he was dying, he knew that he could never see them again.

For how could he?

It wouldn't be fair to inflict that sort of pain on them….to let them love him…and then for him to disappear from their lives just like that.

So he would stay away…keep his distance…even though it pained him so, _so_ much to do so.

Wade opened his eyes, making to slip off his jacket.

Every part of him seemed to ache these days. Had it ached before? He wasn't sure.

Perhaps the entire thing was just psychosomatic, but either way, pain meds didn't seem to do much….

He winced as he made to slip the sheepskin jacket from his shoulders….but before he could move, there came a sudden knock on the front door behind him….and the sudden whispering of voices.

Voices he recognised very well….

The merc gave a gulp, knowing what he had to do…

Even though it would break his heart to do so….

He took a long steadying breath, stepping forward and hurling open the door.

But his heart seemed to stop for a second, as he took in the two beautiful figures standing there.

Missy was stood as gorgeous as ever, today in a blue, long sleeved dress and tights, and stood beside her, clasping her hand was Emily already in her pink onesie, despite it only being five o clock.

"Hey," said Missy in a quiet voice.

She wasn't smiling, but she wasn't scowling either, merely looking at him with those large green eyes of hers.

God, he loved her….

He loved everything about her….both of them, in fact!

Wade gave a gulp, coughing, and tearing his eyes from hers, not saying a word.

The merc was suddenly very aware of how pale and gaunt his face looked nowadays, as he felt Missy's kind eyes on him.

"Um…" said Missy sounding nervous. "Em-Emily just wanted to come over and say hi."

Hi breath caught in his throat.

Wade chanced a glance down at the tiny little girl he loved so very much who smiled up at him, holding out her tiny paw and clutching at the knee of his jeans.

"Daddy, I wan cwuddle," she said with a tiny pout.

The merc's stomach twisted into knots.

Right now he wanted nothing more than to sweep the tiny girl up into his arms and hold her, hold _both_ of them, forever.

But he couldn't. He couldn't do this to them.

Force them to endure this shit-show that he called terminal cancer.

So hurting them now would spare their feelings in the long run….he knew that. But that didn't mean it would hurt any less…

He opened his mouth and closed it again, before giving a gulp and scratching the back of his head.

"Look….I'm pretty busy, right now, so…" he said giving a short, fake sigh of indifference.

That killed him to say.

He was a jerk. A big fucking piece of shit jerk.

But all of this was for them.

He just wanted them to be happy….to live happy lives…..even if that meant he would never get to see them again.

He saw Missy gaze at him suddenly, looking shocked.

She flushed bright red, tugging Emily by the hand, away from Wade.

"Right…." she said sounding embarrassed and hurt. "Of course…..sorry..."

Oh god, this was killing him worse than the cancer….tearing him apart from the inside.

He was pushing them away so that he didn't hurt them.

But this felt so wrong….

So fucking wrong.

These were the two people he was _meant_ to be with. His family.

And it broke his heart to see Emily staring at him like that, and Missy so upset, unable to now meet his eye.

"Come on, sweetie," said the caramel-haired women after a moment or two, bowing her head. "W-We should go."

With that, she turned Emily around and tugged her back across the hallway towards the open door to their apartment, the tiny toddler staring back at Wade looking confused.

Her big green eyes meeting his questioningly….perhaps pondering why Wade didn't want to cuddle her.

Wade felt tears now prick at his own eyes.

He quickly closed them, running a hand down his long, tired face.

He desperately wanted to call out to them and tell them this was all a big mistake…

But before the, normally mouthy, merc could look up and even pluck up the courage to utter the words, Missy and Emily had disappeared back into their apartment, and closed the door shut behind them with a gentle snap.

Leaving Wade Wilson all alone…

* * *

 **Thanks to Queenbeee222,Legolas Girl 31, TheHappyKitty, Guest, CaptainWilliamsN7, jeffhardyluvsme, Guest, AngiMK, petite yoyo and Guest for reviewing the last chapter.**

 **This was a sad one. I am so sorry. Hope it was ok though? Let me know what you thought.**

 **Have a great weekend!**

 **Please review :)**


	40. Chapter 40

The weeks seemed to drift slowly by…

The snow disappeared and a warm spring breeze encouraged the spring blossoms to appear, pink and pretty.

But despite it being Wade Wilson's last spring to enjoy, he wasn't really in the mood to do so.

He walked down the street, dark-ringed eyes blinking heavily shut, his hands stuffed into his jacket pockets.

He was tired….exhausted even, and all he knew was that he desperately needed a drink.

Shoving open the familiar red door to Weasel's bar, he headed inside, into the enveloping gloom.

The place was quiet, which was pretty usual for late afternoon on a Tuesday, with just a few regular's dotted here and there.

"Well if isn't Wade fucking Wilson," came Weasel's gravelly voice. "No offence dude, but you look like shit."

Wade forced a fake smile. "I feel like it too," he replied, strolling over and coming to lean up against the grimy bar.

Weasel gave Wade a lopsided grin, full of sympathy- which Wade of course, hated. He didn't want people feeling sorry for him.

Weasel automatically pulled down a grease streaked glass and opened a dusty bottle of whisky, pouring large glug of the brown liquor inside.

"On the house," said the barman with a sigh, his eyes on Wade's pale, gaunt face as the merc pulled his wallet from his pocket. "So no Emily or Missy today?"

Wade lowered his eyes as Weasel slid the drink towards him.

"Nah," uttered the merc, running a hand down his long face before glugging down the whiskey in one. "I'm not letting them get involved in this fucking shit-show. They're both too perfect for that."

Weasel gave a frown.

"You mean you haven't fucking told them?" he spluttered in shock. "Fuck me, man….that's just…..messed up."

A line appeared between Wade's brows.

It had been weeks since he had seen Missy or Emily. He had kept his distance, not wanting them to see him like this. And after the last time they had spoken, he doubted either of them would ever want to see him again anyway.

They were too good for him and he knew it.

The merc, opened his wallet and pulled out a battered old photograph of the three of them he had taken on Emily's birthday at the zoo.

In the photo Missy was holding Emily, and Wade had his arms looped around Missy's neck, their smiling faces all pressed together.

It was Wade's favourite thing to look at on those long days and night's while he was all alone…even though those two people he loved so much were just across the hallway….

But now, Wade pushed the photo away from him, unable to bear the heartache of looking at it any longer. He missed them so much it hurt…constantly.

Weasel leaned across the bar, plucking up the battered picture.

"Awwww, fucking hell, you guys _are_ perfect," he murmured. "Mind if I keep this…put it up behind the bar?"

Wade gave a heavy nod…..he knew he wouldn't be able to make it in here many more times….what did it matter to him if Weasel put it up or not…

"Sure…" he said with another tired sigh.

Weasel turned, popping the photo up onto the corner of the back wall, before glancing back over towards the merc.

"You know," he said giving a nod. "that creepy guy over there was asking about you earlier."

Wade glanced back over his shoulder at the man he could only see the back of, sat facing a wall in a dimly-lit corner of the bar.

"What? The guy over there that looks like a fucking creepy doll from a horror movie?" said Wade cocking an eye up toward his barman friend.

But Weasel shrugged. "You're call man….but you never know, it might further the plot," he uttered, before turning away to wipe down some glasses with a greasy looking rag.

Wade paused for a moment, glancing over his shoulder one more time at the guy.

Why would he want to see Wade?

But as Wade turned back around toward the bar he stared up at the photograph of him, Missy and Emily, pinned to the wall and gave a deep sigh…

He had given up the two things he cared about the most in this entire universe…

The only thing that had been keeping him going…

What more did he have to lose?

* * *

Two hours later and Wade slipped silently out of Missy and Emily's apartment for the last time.

The lights had been off so he'd known it was the most apt time for him to do what he needed to do.

He had lingered in his and Missy's room for a long time in the darkness, before moving into Emily's tiny bedroom, picking up her toy bunny and holding it to his face. Wade had closed his eyes, just for a moment, before replacing the toy where he had found it and leaving the apartment.

Wade gave a painful gulp as he pulled the front door shut behind him.

He already had his bag packed, the guy's card sitting in his back pocket, and had already made up his mind…

'Agent Smith' had told him this world needed extraordinary soldiers…..

Maybe this was his chance…

His one shot to make himself better…. _better_ than better…

A superhero…

Well, Wade wasn't fucking stupid enough to believe in that utter bullshit, but if they could find a way to cure him, he might someday might be able to find his way back to Missy and Emily.

That was all he wanted.

The merc, who had come down the stairs two at a time, headed outside, taking a deep gulp as he stepped out into the cold evening air.

But he had barely gotten down the concrete step, heading a little way down the street, when he heard a familiar voice behind him.

Wade, making sure he was stood behind a parked car, lingering in the shadows, stopped for a second before turning around.

"I liyk dat moofy Mommy," came the tiny little voice of Emily, walking hand-in-hand with Missy in her little red coat and booties. "I liyk tha pwincess tha besht!"

Wade craned his neck, his eyes fixed on Missy, who was tonight dressed in a long navy raincoat coat, her long caramel hair lightly curled, looking as perfect as ever.

"Did you enjoy your popcorn, baby?" he heard her utter to her daughter, as they began to climb the steps leading up to their apartment building.

Emily gave a nod, and Wade watched as the tiny toddler peered up towards her Mom. "Ca Waydee come watsh it wiv us nexsht time?" the little girl said in a slightly slurred voice.

But Wade didn't hear Missy give an answer, but lost sight of them for the last time, as they disappeared through the large glass doors, heading inside, out of the cold.

The merc's heart broke and he turned away, running a hand down his exhausted face and giving a pained gulp…

He took a few steps away, steadying his shaking-self on the hood of a car, breathing hard and closing his eyes.

He sucked in a breath.

He didn't know what was killing him more. The cancer…or knowing that would be the last time he would see them…

And so, plucking the business card and his cell phone from his back pocket, he dialled the number, lifting the phone to his ear and beginning to walk….

* * *

Missy shoved open the door to her apartment as Emily ran past her inside, heading straight over towards her basket of toys in the corner of the living room.

She was set to start her new job tomorrow with SHIELD, but right now she felt anything but confident about being able to keep it.

With Wade now gone, Missy had had to save up all her money to get a babysitter. She was a college grad and so didn't charge as much as others tended to, but money was still scarily tight at the moment.

She closed the front door with a snap behind her, his eyes following her tiny daughter.

Missy felt truly and utterly lost…

….just vacant...

Wade just upping and leaving like that had hit her hard… and when they had gone over and seen him…..well, that had broken her heart into a million pieces.

He had acted so dismissive towards them…so uncaring….

Just like Scott had done to them all those years ago…

It was as though history was repeating itself again. Yet another man to turn on them, to walk out on them, to abandon them…

Missy could barely cope with that. All this was too much for her.

She had loved Wade so so much. He had been her everything.. And she had thought they had been happy together. The three of them. A little family…

Missy felt woozy, probably due to lack of sleep and worry….the worry that neither she nor Emily were good enough for anyone…

Her tiny daughter had asked about Wade each and every day that passed, obviously not being able to understand why he didn't want to talk to her….or cuddle her…or spend his days with her anymore.

But each time that Emily mentioned Wade's name or asked for her 'Daddy' Missy had filched internally.

She had put all her trust in him, confided in him….loved him….

And yet she had pushed him away…made him to do this.

This was all on her and she knew it.

Missy gave a heavy sigh, her lip trembling. She didn't know how she was going to cope.

Emily's hearing was getting worse by the day. She would cry and jump at even the slightest of noises. And Missy could tell she was not having a good time of it.

That was why tonight they had taken a trip the movies to watch an Audio Descriptive Disney movie together…Missy's last treat for the tiny girl before her money would run out completely.

She wanted to give her something at least. One last gesture of love before she would spend all of her time working to pay for a sitter and come home too exhausted to be able to play with Emily when she did get the time…

It was all going to change.

All because of Missy, and how stupid she had been….yet again.

Missy unravelled her scarf and hung it up on a coat hook on the back of the door.

"Sweetie, Mommy's just going into the bedroom for a sec, ok?" Missy said in a loud, clear voice causing Emily to look up, little mouth open. The tiny toddler gave a nod, before going back to playing with her coloured bricks.

And so Missy, giving a small gulp, went silently into her darkened bedroom, not bothering to switch on the light, and closed the door with a gentle snap behind her.

It was only then, when she was sure that Emily couldn't hear her ,did Missy burst into tears.

She shook with painful emotion, not even making it to the bed, but instead collapsing the floor where she was, breaking into heaving sobs.

She couldn't do this.

Not again.

She clasped her hands over her face, trying to block out the sounds of her crying, in case Emily overheard her.

Missy just wasn't coping well.

History was repeating itself and there was nothing she could do to stop it.

Not only that she didn't have the money, but she didn't have the strength either.

This was all too much to bare.

She wasn't what anyone wanted. She never would be. Scott had left and now Wade. Missy was obviously just destined to be alone. This was all her own fault. She obviously just wasn't good enough.

Missy let out a loud sob, pulling away her hands and looking skyward, her eyes full of tears.

But it was then and only then did something catch her eye, there in the darkness….

Missy gave a sniff, wiping her hands over her tear stained cheeks and clambered over towards the bed. Her entire body trembling as she did so.

For there, lying on the bed, was Wade's old duffel bag…the one he would use to carry ammo to jobs on occasion.

And it certainly had not been there when she had gone out earlier…

Missy pulled herself to her feet, blinking twice and swiping at her tear-strewn cheeks once more.

She cautiously moved over the duffel bag, her hand hovering an inch or two above the closed zip….

Was this a trick? Something someone had planted to get Wade into trouble. Or could it be something much worse? A bomb?

But gathering up all her courage Missy grasped the metal zip between her fingers and gave it a slow tug, wincing…

But it wasn't a bomb that made her gasp and take a step back, her breath catching in her throat…

But instead, lying inside the bag in large green piles….was what looked like thousands of dollars in cash.

Missy gasped, her hand moving up towards her mouth, her fingers shaking.

She at once perched on the edge of the bed.

What the-?

But Missy's eyes suddenly landed on a white sheet of folded paper lying just to the side of the cash.

And so, with trembling fingers Missy picked up the note and opened it…

She gave a sudden audible sob as she saw whose writing it was…

 ** _Missy (my perfect Momma-bear)_**

 ** _Before you say it, I know that I'm an asshole. I walked out on you and I know that you're probably feeling like shit right now and that's all on me. But never ever think that I didn't, and don't love you. Because I do. I love you more than chimichangas, or Wham! (even after George and Andrew earned that exclamation point) or even more than that thing you did for me on my birthday. You know the one. And I was a complete asshole for trying to convince you that I didn't love you. Even for a second._**

 ** _There's a reason I left and it wasn't you, or Em, or anything you could have ever done. To me, you're both perfection, and never ever for a fucking minute believe that I left you because you'd done something wrong._**

 ** _The truth is I have cancer and I'm going to die._**

 ** _I know, fucking shocking isn't it that after a lifetime of drinking heavily and putting my body through shit, that this would happen to me._**

 ** _The docs have given me another month or so to live, but I didn't want to spend that last month with you or Em-Bear looking like a complete and utter piece of shit and having to have you see me like that. Because that's not the part of me I want either of you to remember. I want you to remember the early morning pancakes, the shower sex, the trips to the park and to the arcade, and that time you freaked because you found Em with a grenade trigger and slapped me so hard I thought I'd gotten whiplash._**

 ** _I want_** ** _that_** ** _to be how you remember me. And if by some fucking miracle I make it through to the other side, wherever or whatever that might be, then I am going to try a lot harder to not be an asshole to you in that life. No, I swear to God I will fucking find you and I will boombox Careless Whisper outside your window until you run into my arms again. Both of you._**

 ** _I wanted to be Emily's dad more than anything, and give you the life that both of deserve, and just because I'm not there to do that, doesn't mean I can't help you out a bit._**

 ** _I've been saving all this from the million jobs I've been doing this last six months. There should be ten thousand there, which hopefully should tide you over for a while until you at least find a new job. Which I know you will, baby. Because any place is fucking lucky to have you working there._**

 ** _Baby, Moon of my life, sugar-Momma… know this is a fucking shitty goodbye. And all of this- it's only because I'm too cowardly to tell you this in person, you know that._**

 ** _But I love you both. With all my fucking cancer-ridden heart, I love you. And nothing is ever going to change that._**

 ** _Please never forget that Momma-Bear._**

 ** _All my love_**

 ** _Wade X_**

Missy's entire body trembled as she read and re-read the piece of paper again and again, tears sploshing down her face.

But she couldn't keep it all in. Not this time, and despite her closing her eyes and clutching hand to her mouth, she cried out loud, giving a pained sob.

It wasn't a second before the door handle turned and a tiny figure appeared through the door, coming over to Missy and attempting to clamber up onto her lap.

"Itsh okway, Mommy," said the little girl, for the first time sounding so grown-up, peering up into Missy's eyes. "Don be sad, I 'ere naw."

And with that, Emily had reached out with her teeny paw, pulling Missy's hand from her face, before wrapping her tiny arms around her Mom.

Missy gave another sniff and a sob and she pulled her three-year old daughter closer to her, as close as she could get, before enveloping her in a warm hug in the darkness.

For now it was just the two of them…alone again….

But for the first time in a long time, Missy felt a weight lift off her shoulders, for she knew Wade….wherever he was, was dreaming about them….and Missy would be dreaming of him…

…..forever….

* * *

Wade's eyes flickered this way and that as the gurney he was lying on was wheeled down a grimy looking corridor.

Suddenly a familiar face appeared above him.

It was 'Agent Smith', looking as creepy as ever.

The dark-haired man leaned over him, his eyes glinting, even in the dim light.

"Mr Wilson, nothing warms my heart more than a change of someone else's," he said grinning. "Looks like you've finally hit 'fuck it'."

Wade gave an uneasy gulp, feeling more nervous than he ever had done in his entire life.

But right at that moment, two faces of swam through his mind…

The faces of the two people he loved more than anything.

And he would never ever forget them, as long as he still had breath in his body.

"Just promise you'll do right be me," said Wade feeling his voice waver slightly. He took a steadying second. "So I can do right by someone else…"

But Agent Smith merely smiled.

"Of course, Mr Wilson. Of course…"

* * *

 **Thanks so much to Queenbeee222, srosal1, Legolas Girl 31, jonstar1034, dancindonna, HarleyQuinnHearts, petite yoyo, Guest, Raging Raven, Guest, Smaug the golden, AngiMK, Jobes94, Guest, THE JUDGE OF FICS, Mia and Carlypso for reviewing the last chapter.**

 **Phew, that was a long one! What did you think? *looks nervous* One more chapter to go...**

 **Please review**


	41. Chapter 41

**Three months later**

Missy walked out of her bedroom, placing a pretty studded earring into each ear.

She gave a smile as she saw Emily sitting at the table as good as gold, already waiting patiently for her breakfast.

Missy, smoothing down her smart white silk blouse and charcoal grey pencil skirt that showed off her tanned, slender legs to perfection, headed into her little kitchenette, plucking a slice of toast out of the toaster and smearing it with butter and honey.

The news was on the TV in the room next door, but Missy was barely listening to it, instead, gently humming a pop song she had heard on the subway a couple of days ago.

She was happy.

For the first time in a long time, she was happy.

She had been working for SHIELD for the past three months now and she completely loved it. Her colleagues were nice, the work was interesting and it paid really well. Well, for an admin job anyway…

She went to work each day looking forward to doing her job which was a first for her, it really was.

And Emily was happy too. She had finally made a couple of friends, the children of a few of the women who worked at SHIELD. And the kids were clever enough, even at their age, to know that they didn't need to shout or scream to get Emily's attention. They just played with her like a normal little girl…playing ponies or painting…..doing what other kids her age usually did on play dates…

Missy, on her high black patent high heels, strutted back into the living room and placed the triangles of toast in front of her daughter, stroking her head as she did so.

Emily beamed up at her Mom and picked up a slice, peering at it cautiously.

"It's just toast, baby. With honey," said Missy as she walked away, knowing Emily too well and knowing just how picky she could be if given the option. "You _like_ toast with honey."

But to Missy's delight, her three-year old daughter didn't argue….for once.

Missy passed the TV, barely paying attention to the news story that was currently scrolling across the screen.

 ** _"A huge fire near the docks of the Hudson, has, this morning-"_**

She wasn't even half way across the room when there was a knock on the door.

Behind her, Emily looked up for a moment, his green eyes wide and curious as she chewed, open-mouthed, on a floppy triangle of toast.

But Missy hurled open the door in a hurry, giving a smile.

"Hi Janey," she said in a kindly voice to her familiar sitter, stepping aside for her to enter.

Janey was fresh out of college, and even from that first day she had spent with Emily, the tiny toddler had adored her.

She was young, with black curly hair and glasses, and loved to read, and she seemed more than happy to spend her days taking care of Emily, with the Harry Potter novels and a mug of coffee at her side.

Janey gave them both a wide smile, popping her backpack down onto the floor and heading over towards Emily without instruction.

"You know where everything is," said Missy grabbing her coat and shoving one of Emily's pieces of toast into her own mouth. "…and if you need anything-"

But Janey raised her eyebrows giving Missy a bemused expression.

"I'll call you," she said, cutting across Missy in a soothing voice. "Now go, before you're late."

Missy gave a chuckle, flinging her chic trench coat over her shoulders and picking up her purse.

"Alright," she said, her mouth full of toast as she strutted over and pressed a small kiss to the top of her daughters soft hair. "See you later baby, ok? Mommy loves you."

Emily peered up at her mother, her little cheeks stuffed full. "Lubb yoo too, Mommy!" she said happily before turning back to her plate.

And with that, the caramel-haired woman headed swiftly out the door.

* * *

Missy strutted out of the large glass elevator as the doors neatly pinged open, doing up her umbrella.

It had started to rain on the way over, storm clouds swirling overhead.

Missy almost wondered if Thor was in the area again…..as storms over tended to follow the God of thunder around.

But brushing herself off Missy wondered over towards her desk, which was situated on the far side on an enormous open-plan office, where men and woman in various SHIELD uniforms bustled past her, already several hours into their day.

She felt comfortable here now. Everyone knew her. Everyone said hi. And most importantly, everyone was just lovely, and took into consideration that sometimes she might be late…or sometimes she needed to work from home because Emily got sick. But that was just what single-Moms had to do sometimes.

And that was what she was. A hard-working single Mom.

On her own…

Missy passed through the room, suddenly catching the eye of the tall, blonde and handsome Steve Rogers who often frequented this floor these days.

"Morning," he mouthed with a nod, flashing her a charming smile, as a small man with thinning grey hair attempted to engage him in conversation.

But Missy merely smiled back, giving him a gentle nod, before his attention was torn swiftly away.

Reaching her desk, Missy removed her coat and took a seat, still smiling to herself…

She leant forwards, re-adjusting a photo frame that sat on her desk, with care.

And just for a second, she admired the photograph inside…. showing Missy, Emily and Wade, taken a long, long time ago at the duck park. Their faces were smushed together, grinning like idiots, but all three of them looked happy and perfect and totally and utterly in love.

"I love you," she whispered, really to no one but herself, as she set the frame down facing her.

Finally, taking a deep breath of air, Missy relaxed her shoulders and switched on her PC….more than ready to start the day.

For she knew that it was bound to be another great one….

* * *

Outside…. stood in the pouring rain…..a lone figure stared up at the enormous Stark Towers….home to SHIELD…and where he had seen Missy disappearing into just a few minutes before…

He let out a long, pained sigh….

She would never want to see him looking like this….

No one would…

And so, with a hood thrown up over his scarred, red face…Wade Wilson disappeared into the crowd…

…Francis would pay for this….one way or another...

* * *

 **Thanks so much to those who reviewed the last chapter: Wolfy Queen, jonstar1034, CaptainWilliamsN7, Guest, Guest, starrat, Guest, jeffhardyluvsme, TamashinoSuzume, Guest, Legolas Girl 31, hottieanimegurl, THE JUDGE OF FICS, AngiMK, Smaug the golden, Raging Raven, dancindonna, Carlypso, Mia, Queenbeee222 and Guest.**

 **Have I finished?...I'm not sure….I guess you'll just have to wait and see…**

 **But please do let me know what you thought of this chapter. I'd love to hear your thoughts before making up my mind.**

 **Please review**


	42. Chapter 42

**I'm back. Couldn't stay away for long. You know me! :)**

* * *

It was early September, and a warm breeze swept in through Missy's open office window, causing the papers on her desk to flutter slightly.

Missy glanced up from her work with warm green eyes, brushing back her long caramel blonde hair from her face and sweeping it over her slender shoulder.

She loved this time of year.

Everything felt warm and hazy and just…well….. _right_.

Everything in her life was good right now. Emily had just turned four and Missy felt like the teeny girl was growing up right before her very eyes.

She was getting on great with her sign language and her speech, although still slurred, was gradually getting better. The toddler was still as cute as ever and got along great with her sitter Janey.

Missy's job was also going great too, she had even been offered a pay-rise for her hard work over the last six months. She had made friends and really felt like part of a team…. a family, here.

But despite all this, there was one thing she was missing….

More than anything else….

Her pink lips parted slightly as she let out a long breath of air…just as a familiar face approached her desk.

"Afternoon," came the friendly voice of Steve Rogers.

He today looked as handsome as ever, out of his usual red and blue spandex suit and instead wearing just jeans and tight white t-shirt.

From the corner of her eye, Missy could see several of the women who worked in her open-plan office, glance over longingly as he walked by.

According to them, Steve's appearances in their office had been pretty few and far between six months ago, and yet now, they were a very regular occurrence indeed.

Missy smiled at him as he came to stand beside her, shoving his hands into the front pockets of his jeans as if unsure of what to do with them.

"Hi," she uttered, leaning back in her chair slightly. She attempted to stifle a laugh as she spotted of her friend Alison, in the far corner of the room almost trip over a chair, so distracted by the presence of Captain America.

"I'm not disturbing you am I?" said Steve chancing a glance at the data on Missy's screen. "I'm never sure in this place if people are working or browsing the internet. It all looks the same to me…"

Missy gave a chuckle as Steve scratched the back of his neck, reddening slightly.

"I can assure you, I'm doing work," said Missy smiling. " But I'm probably disturbable."

Steve smiled back, his piercing blue eyes meeting hers.

"I haven't seen you in a while," Steve commented conversationally. "I thought I might have caught you at Maria's birthday last week-"

Missy tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, her eyes flickering down to her lap.

"I was….um…." said Missy, biting at her lip. "…I-I just couldn't make it…"

That had been the night that Emily had been suffering from a nasty bout of stomach flu.

Steve looked at her, mouthing at the air for second before speaking.

"You…uhh….think you're gonna go to Stark's thing at the end of the month?" he asked in a gentle voice.

Tony Stark was indeed organising his quarterly party for all staff, which, in his own words, was a great excuse 'for SHIELD staff to get totally wasted and try and wind up Agent Fury'.

Everyone had been talking about it for the past few weeks and as much as Missy wanted to go, she very much doubted she would be able to.

"Um….I'm not sure….I have Emily…m-my daughter…so…." said Missy gulping. She could feel the tops of her cheeks

turning pink.

Steve's eyes suddenly widened ever so slightly but his smile didn't falter…

"Oh…I didn't realise you had….I mean, t-that's great…" he mumbled, shifting his weight from foot to foot.

Missy gave a nod.

"She's only four and her sitter already works from eight til' five so I don't really like asking her to stay on any longer, y'know?" said the caramel blonde woman, crossing her legs and readjusting her black pencil skirt. "But I'll maybe see what I can do. I'd like to go…"

She wasn't lying. She _did_ want to go, but only because she had already missed the _summer_ party this year and she was staring to make a habit of it.

She didn't want to be that person who just didn't turn up to things.

Steve stared at her for a long moment, as if he was about to say something, but instead, Missy spoke first.

"So what's been going on with you?" she asked, turning in her swivel chair to face her PC and clicking nonchalantly on an email that had just appeared the corner of her screen.

Steve gave a long sigh and ran a hand through his blonde hair causing his t-shirt to ride up slightly around his abdomen.

A couple of women in the office fanned themselves with various office utensils.

"Nothing much. Just had a few run ins with this new guy in town…he's causing all sorts of trouble for us here at SHIELD and Agent Fury wants us to try and bring him in…." said Steve shaking his head. "But the guy is _not_ proving easy to catch."

"Oh yeah?" said Missy glancing up at Steve. "How come?"

Steve folded his arms across his broad chest.

"Let's just say this guy's been a huge pain in our ass from the beginning. Pardon my language, ma'am," said Steve curtly. "His name's Deadpool. You might have seen him on the news…"

Missy shrugged.

"Hmmm, maybe…" she said giving the Captain an encouraging smile, trying to remember if she had heard anything about this Deadpool guy before now, but between having a full-time job and taking care of Emily, Missy hadn't really had time to pay much attention to current affairs lately.

"Anyway," said Steve giving another hearty sigh. "He'll come around eventually, they all do."

Missy smiled noncommittally, watching as two more emails popped into her inbox.

"Sorry, I should let you get back to it," said Steve clapping his hands together. "I can see I've bothered you long enough."

Missy gave a smile, titling her head. "You haven't bothered me, Steve, it's just that report I've got to get to Pepper by five-"

There was a small moment of silence as Steve gave a nod and a smile and began to turn away, but he suddenly stopped in his tracks and turned back to Missy abruptly, his shoulders tensed.

"Listen," he said his voice sounding slightly nervous. "Tell me if I'm being too forward….but…..uhhh….are you free this weekend? You **_and_** Emily? It's just that there's this great little diner I used to go to on the corner of 85 Broadway that serves the best chili-cheese dogs in town and I know they do a super mini version for kids too…..I mean, you can say no….I just thought…maybe…..uhhh…."

Missy's mouth dropped open in shock.

Wait?

Was Steve asking her on….a date?

She faltered for a long moment.

"I…..ummm…..this weekend?…..I …." she stuttered, her heart thudding in her chest.

But Steve looked at her, smiling gently.

"Sorry. I've put you on the spot," he said chuckling. "Listen. No pressure. Just let me know by Friday maybe? You can even email me if you like."

He pulled a cell-phone from his pocket, holding it aloft proudly.

"Banner showed me how to read them from here….crazy isn't it really? All that capability on _this_ little thing," said Steve shaking his head.

He flashed Missy one last smile.

"Anyway, I'll stop disturbing you now," he said finally turning on his heel and walking away.

Missy watched him go and made sure he had turned the corner, disappearing out of sight, before she slumped back against her chair, letting out a long steadying breath.

* * *

Missy had spent the entire afternoon dwelling on her conversation with Steve, and by the time she finally reached her hallway later that evening, it was still very much on her mind.

I mean, Steve was nice and all...

But there was one thing that was holding her back.

One person, who even after all this time, she loved and missed so much, it hurt.

Grabbing her keys from her purse she shoved them into her door and pushed it open, only to be met with the sight of a pair of little legs streaking past her along the hallway.

Missy smirked as she saw Janey run past, laughing.

"Emmy!" she called out. "Your Mommy said it's bath time by five tonight remember?"

Missy heard Emily give a little shriek and a giggle as she lopped around, running back and coming to stop by Missy's legs, noticing her Mom for the first time.

"Mommy, I don' wan' baff tonight!" she said slurring her words slightly as she spoke, which wasn't unusual for her.

But what was unusual was for her daughter to be running around with no pants on, showing her bear butt to the world with no hint of shame.

Janey stopped and turned back to Missy, rolling her eyes playfully.

"She's been like this for an hour," said the young girl shaking her head. "I think she was just excited for you to get home."

"Over-excited, more like," said Missy giving a little growl and sweeping her daughter up into her arms.

Missy's green eyes met with her daughter's identical ones.

"And why are you not wearing any pants, baby?" she asked, raising a shapely eyebrow skyward.

But Emily gave a little grin and stuck her tongue out.

"Noh, I wan' pway swuperhewos, wiff you and noh hav' baff," she said cheekily.

Missy rolled her eyes as Janey grabbed her coat, mouthing a swift 'goodbye' and slipping out of the door behind the pair of them, shutting it behind her.

"Come on, Little Miss Naughty," said Missy chuckling, and carrying her daughter into the bathroom. "Bathtime. And if you really want to be a superhero, you can be Aquaman. He _loves_ the water. Deal?"

Emily paused for a moment, pondering the question, her little mouth pursed into an o-shape, before she gave a nod.

"Okway, Mommy," she said finally, placing her sticky little hands to Missy's face, giggling.

* * *

Across town, Wade Wilson was recovering from sixteen bullet wounds to the chest. All courtesy of the Black Widow and Maria Hill of course.

The merc was currently lying across his lumpy couch and scrolling through his camera roll on his phone as he did so.

"Ughhhh, you think I'll ever be beautiful again?" he said with a loud whiny sigh, as Al shuffled into the room carrying a roughly-made sandwich.

Without asking, Wade took half, as she past him by, coming to sit beside him on the sofa.

"Doubt it," Al said with a grunt, which made Wade scowl over at her.

He was still dressed in his red and black spandex suit, but his mask, boots and swords all lay abandoned a few feet away from him on the floor.

"Well aren't you the voice of fucking reassurance I need right now?" said Wade in a mocking tone. "Pffft, you're wrong y'know. Soon I'm gonna track down that fucking dickweed known as Francis, and I'm gonna get my face **_AND_** my girls back."

He pointed at Al.

"And then _you_ ," he said in a loud voice, "can find yourself a new roomie to bunk with."

"I can't wait," said Al sarcastically, taking a bite of her sandwich. "Saves me listening to your whining all day."

Wade shot Al a withering look, which the blind old lady unfortunately didn't catch, before turning back to his phone and continuing to scroll through his photos once again

He paused on a selfie he had taken of him, Missy and Emily at the zoo what felt like a lifetime ago, his eyes travelling over Missy's perfect face.

"Oh, I'm coming, baby, don't you worry," Wade murmured to himself. "

* * *

 **Thanks to hottieanimegurl, Guest, CaptainWilliamsN7, Smaug the Golden, TamashinoSuzume, Anber, Guest, Lily, Legolas Girl 31, pyroleigh, TheDaydreamAway, srosal1, Kisses N Cyanide, dancindonna, Carlypso, jonstar1034, THE JUDGE OF FICS, BellaFantasia, QueenBeee222, pyrojack25, AngiMK, Guest, Guest, Natasha, Amy, Hearts Tempo, Jobes94 and ImsebastianstanButter for reviewing the last chapter.**

 **What did you think? MissyPool is on the horizon, but perhaps Steve Rogers might get in the way a little on this occasion….**

 **Please review!**


	43. Chapter 43

Missy had spent the last two days thoroughly trying to avoid Steve Rogers.

It wasn't as if she didn't _want_ to see him, it was just that avoiding him definitely seemed better than giving him an answer.

It was a Thursday afternoon, and Missy brushed herself off as she emerged from the stationary closet on the third floor.

She had just spend the last twenty minutes hiding in there, having spotted the suited and booted Captain America walking down the hallway towards her. Luckily for her, he hadn't seen her, which had been a relief. But after sitting in the closet on an upturned bucket for a third of an hour, Missy was very much doubting her life choices.

Jeez….was going on a date with Steve really _that_ bad?

Most of the women in her office would have jumped at the chance of an offer of a chilly-cheese dog with the superhero.

He _was_ super sweet, and he had even offered to invite Emily too, which Missy knew that most men would have run a mile before doing.

But there was something that was holding her back.

Wade Wilson.

Wade stupid Wilson.

The man who she had fallen totally and utterly in love with who had disappeared from her life, just like that.

But unlike Scott, he had genuinely loved her back, and she had understood why he had left. Only she wished he had wanted to spend his last few weeks and days with her and Emily. Instead of off, god knows where.

She only had photographs now, and memories.

She didn't even have a grave over which to mourn.

That was the part that killed her the most…the sense that he was never quite gone….

Missy gave a sigh, brushing more dust from her ass, as she strutted down the corridor on high heels.

But turning the corner she walked slap bang into-

"Steve!" she breathed as his hand slipped around her waist gently whilst she wobbled, catching her step.

"Whoah there," he said flashing her a grin. "You ought to be careful who you try and bowl over."

His tone was friendly and kind.

Missy peeled herself away from him and stared up into his blonde handsome face, as her heart began to pound.

Fuck.

"Hi Steve, s-sorry," she uttered, avoiding his eye. "I must have been in a world of my own."

But the Captain merely smiled.

"It's fine," he said shaking his head and pausing slightly. "Can I…errrr….walk you to your desk?"

Missy gave a gulp.

"I….uhhh…..sure," she murmured, flushing, not really knowing what else to say.

And so, she fell into step with Steve as they turned the corner and headed across the wide-open plan office.

Missy could feel heads turning towards them as they went, her face flushing scarlet.

She could just imagine what Wade would say if he could have seen her now. Walking, practically arm-in-arm with Captain America.

She could almost picture his face and it took all her effort not to laugh.

The pair walked in near silence as they went, and within less than a minute they had reached Missy's desk.

She immediately took a seat, hoping Steve would forget all about his offer of taking her out this weekend.

She _definitely_ needed more time to think it through before making a decision.

"So you had any more thoughts about this weekend yet?" said the Captain almost reading her mind.

Missy felt her heart plummet into her stomach.

Steve shifted his weight from foot to foot causing his spandex costume to squeak slightly.

"I thought maybe you and your daughter would like to go see a movie maybe?" he continued with an encouraging smile.

It looked as though he had been definitely been thinking about this over the past couple of days.

But Missy pursed her lips, trying to find the words, but she needn't have-

"Oh….sorry, I'm an idiot," said Steve suddenly, shaking his head.

Missy looked up to see his cheeks pink, and watched as he ran a hand down his face.

He glanced at her and gave her a small smile.

"Sorry. I never noticed your photograph before," he said nodding over towards the picture frame on Missy's desk. The photo of her, Emily and Wade. It was a little rumpled, but Missy adored looking at it just the same. "I didn't realise you had a boyfriend…."

He trailed off giving a visable gulp.

In that moment Missy felt her chest tighten.

"N-No…" she said her eyes travelling down towards the photo. She reached over, her fingers brushing the frame. "…uhhh…he's um…."

She felt her mouth go dry and she sought to find the words.

"….h-he died…."

Missy felt like she could cry.

Since Wade had left she had avoided everything that had reminded her of the merc. She didn't go to Sister Margaret's, she definitely didn't socialise with Wade's old friends…she barely even looked at, what used to be his front door, opposite hers in the hallway anymore…

Steve looked at her, the smile disappearing from his face, his eyes filling with remorse.

"God…I'm so sorry," he said shaking his blonde hair. "I didn't-"

"Its fine," said Missy frowning lightly. "It's not your fault."

The pair of them were silent for a long moment.

"Look….if you ever need to talk…." said Steve gently. "…I know what it's like to lose people."

Missy stared up at the Captain for a second or two.

He really _WAS_ a nice guy.

She really didn't know what she was being so cowardly for?

But Steve, sensing he had overstepped the mark, merely gave her a nod and turned him heel, beginning to walk away.

Though at this, Missy stared up at his retreating form and opened her mouth to speak-

"Can we make it 2 o'clock?" she blurted out suddenly, as Steve glanced back around. "We'll need to be back before six-thirty for Emily's bedtime though, if that's ok?"

A moment passed between the pair of them….

Until Steve finally smiled gently and gave a happy nod.

"I'll pick you up at two then," he said in a charming voice, before heading off for good this time.

Missy let out a long breath of air as she watched him go.

Was she even ready to date anyone else? It had only been nine months since Wade had gone…

Turning back to her PC, Missy readjusted her photo frame.

It was only a few hours…..what was the worst that could happen?

* * *

It was a Thursday and Deadpool was there waiting in a gloomy alleyway, waiting for Missy to get out of work. She always worked until six on a Thursday and despite him not even plucking up the courage to speak to her, Deadpool would make the trip across town to walk her home.

Without her even knowing he was there.

He had tried on more than one occasion to speak to her. His Missy. But on each turn he would bail at the last second.

He imagined what she would say when she saw his face like this….

Would she scream and yell and tell him to get away from her?

Or would she cry and, _worse_ , tell him she didn't love him anymore.

And what he wouldn't be able to face was Emily's reaction. There was no way he was ready to approach the, now four year-old. Not looking like a monster. He would never be able to forgive himself if he frightened her in any fucking way.

And so, Wade kept his distance most of the time. Spending his time killing Francis' men and winding up the X- Men and SHIELD agents the best he could.

But once a week he allowed himself to see her.

His Missy.

He would walk along in the shadows beside her, making sure that she was ok. That everything was good with her.

Today he was dressed in jeans and a hooded sweater which was thrown up over his face, blocking most of his red and scarred skin from sight. But regardless, he would still keep to the shadows of the ever darkening evening. Keeping well out of her sight.

This evening, the merc was playing candy crush on his phone and almost missed the caramel-blonde woman as she stepped out of the revolving doors and onto the almost empty street, heading towards home.

But the merc eyes flickered up just in time, his breath catching in his throat.

Right now, like every single time he saw her, he got the most compulsive urge to run up and kiss her. To show himself to her, to explain what had happened to him. And tonight was no exception.

But a second figure appearing just behind Missy stopped his urge for this evening...

"Hey Missy, wait a sec," came the voice of a short woman, with dark hair and glasses as she ran to catch up with Missy.

Wade saw Missy turn and half smile at the woman.

"Oh hey, Ali," she replied, pausing as the woman reached her, looping her arm in her own.

The woman stopped for a second, catching her breath, shooting Missy a look.

"So, Ms Mysterious," said the woman known as Ali, nudging Missy in the side. "I saw you cosying up to Captain America earlier. How long has that been going on for?"

Wade's heart seemed to stop beating for a second.

What?

He slipped behind a car, keeping close, trying to hear their conversation.

Missy let out a sigh.

"There's nothing going on," said Missy reassuringly. "Steve's….. _nice_."

Wade felt his shoulders slump.

"Nice?" said Ali raising an eyebrow. "Nice doesn't cover it, Missy. He's gorgeous! What I wouldn't do for an hour with that man…"

Wade heard Missy let out a chuckle.

"He's just a friend, Ali," said Missy scoldingly, gaining another shove from her friend.

"A _friend_ that comes up to see you twice, maybe three times a day?" bit back her dark-haired friend.

Wade let out a low growl as he followed them, his eyes blackening.

If that jumped-up second-rate superhero thought that he would try and get into Missy's panties then he had another thing fucking coming…

"It's not like that," said Missy giving a laugh and shaking her head. "He's just been…..sweet. He offered to take me and Emily for a bite to eat and a movie on Saturday."

Wade's heart plummeted into his stomach.

Steve was meeting Emily….his Emily?

"Seriously?!" said Ali, wide-eyed. "Wow. He's asked you on a date AND he wants you to bring your daughter along too? Well it _must_ be love!"

This time it was Missy's turn to nudge her friend. She gave a tut and shook her head, her caramel-hair dropping down across her cheeks.

"Shut up," said Missy pursing her lips together.

But Ali gave a chuckle.

"Well I'm off tomorrow, but I'll catch up with you Monday and I'll be wanting to know _aaaaaall_ of the juicy gossip, are we clear?"

Missy rolled her eyes , her lips twitching up into a smile, as her friend detached her arm.

"Bye Alison, see you Monday," she said in a tired yet playful voice, as her friend turned right at the corner of the street, giving Missy a wave and a cackle as she went.

Wade let out a breath.

Missy was going on dates with Captain America now?

How the fuck was Wade ever going to compete with THAT?!

God, he felt so fucking angry right now. More at himself than anything else.

All of this was his fault….

He gave another furious growl of frustration slipping down into a dingy side street and kicking an overturned trashcan hard, giving a loud yell of internal pain.

Steve Rogers was going to pay for this….

* * *

Missy stopped in her tracks as she heard a loud shout echo out from behind her.

The sky was getting ever dark, and the street was quiet.

She wished she still had Wade around to look out for her, especially in neighbourhoods like this. She could just imagine him teasing her endlessly about how she's been a scaredy-cat and about how she needed a tough old mercenary like him around to keep her safe. Times like _that_ almost always led to a teasing argument between them, usually ending in Wade lifting her and carrying her into the bedroom, with a wicked look across his handsome face.

But he wasn't here anymore.

Wade was gone. And right now, there was nothing she could do to bring him back.

Missy gave a shudder and clutched her purse tighter to her as a loud car horn sounded in the distance.

With that she began the short walk home, head bowed-low, pondering whether seeing Steve this Saturday was indeed the right decision…

….especially when her mind was very much still on the mercenary she had lost…

* * *

 **Thanks to Guest, pyroleigh, Kisses N Cyanide, AngiMK, THE JUDGE OF FICS, dancindonna, Guest, Legolas Girl 31, Guest, Raging Raven, Queenbeee222, jonstar1034, Hearts Tempo and Mia for reviewing the last chapter.**

 **Was that ok?**

 **Have a nice weekend all of you! :)**

 **Please review**


	44. Chapter 44

Wade Wilson stood on the empty bridge humming lightly to himself…. as he doused the asphalt with gasoline.

Today he was in a good mood.

Much improved on two nights ago at least. For today he had a plan.

The merc swivelled around on the spot and admired his work, pulling a box of matches from his pocket.

Oh, a very good fucking plan indeed.

* * *

Missy gave a sigh.

It was Saturday and despite Steve Rogers saying that he would pick them up by 2, over two hours later and there was still no sign of the star spangled Avenger.

Missy who had got herself and her daughter dressed up in almost matching pretty blue dresses, had by now kicked off her patent nude heels and had taken to finish off folding her mountain of laundry instead.

It was no surprise to her that Steve had not turned up.

He had most likely changed his mind anyway, for why would anyone want to hang out with a single mom and her daughter on the weekend.

One part of her was, of course, relived that Steve hadn't showed. Perhaps she wasn't ready to date anyway.

But deep down inside, the caramel-blonde woman couldn't help but be a little disappointed.

She had gotten dressed up for nothing and so had Emily.

The little toddler was now sat on the couch drawing with thick brightly coloured crayons and didn't seem to mind that she wouldn't be going for lunch today. Missy had made her a sandwich instead so the toddler didn't seem to care either way.

But maybe after Wade this was just destined to be her life now. A life of endless laundry and watching TV.

Would anything else even compare anyway?

"Mind if I turn on the TV, baby?" asked Missy, placing down the sheet she was folding and leaning over to speak to her daughter.

Emily looked up at Missy, little mouth agape, and shook her head.

"I colorin'" she uttered, brandishing her sheet of paper proudly.

Missy smiled and stroked her daughter's soft cheek.

"That looks really pretty, sweetie-pie," said Missy gently, grasping up the remote with her other hand and flipping on the TV.

The news was the first thing to appear on the screen, but Missy, not really paying attention, turned, picking up a pair of Emily's leggings from the laundry pile.

 _"_ _...the reports of a masked man wreaking havoc in downtown New York are still coming in this afternoon," came the voice of a stern news reporter behind her. "The man, wearing a red and black suit, has been hunted down by several members of the team known as 'The Avengers' but so far, none have been successful in bringing this vigilante down…"_

Missy frowned to herself, swinging around to see blurry footage of a man in a red mask pointing angrily at a figure running towards him.

A figure she recognised very well…

Missy stared, her mouth falling open as she saw Steve Rogers in full Captain America garb, launching his shield at the masked man's head.

This had to be the infamous Deadpool, Steve kept mentioning.

Missy watched intently, as the masked man dodged out of the way of the Cap's shield, before squaring up with the tall blonde Avenger.

She blinked a couple of times, staring at the screen, having what was almost like the strangest sense of deja-vu…

But it can't have been.

She hadn't known Steve that long, and she had certainly never met this Deadpool guy before…

But before Missy could dwell on this any further, there came a sudden knock upon her front door, causing her to tear her eyes away from the TV.

Missy jumped out of her skin, but Emily, likely having not heard anything, continued with her colouring, nonplussed.

Missy tossed down the leggings, clutching at her heart, hoping it would resume pounding at its normal pace.

Cautiously she headed over towards the front door, brushing herself down before opening it.

It was then that Missy's eyes widened as she took in the figure stood on the other side.

"Steve?" she said, the tiniest frown line appearing between her eyes as she looked the blonde-avenger up and down.

Steve Rogers was standing there in a smart pale blue shirt and jeans, looking out of breath and red in the face, looking entirely like he had just run here.

And in his arms, was a perhaps the most gigantic bunch of flowers Missy had ever laid eyes on.

Steve peered at her with apologetic-looking blue eyes.

"I am so so sorry," he uttered shaking his head.

Missy couldn't help but smile.

Steve usually looked so composed and neat, but right now, he looked run-ragged.

She pursed her lips, trying to hold in a laugh.

"These are for you," he said holding the flowers out towards her. "As way of an apology."

Jeez.

He really _was_ a nice guy wasn't he?

"Thanks," said Missy taking the amazing-smelling bouquet and doubting she even had a vase large enough to fit them in.

She paused for a second, blinking up at the Captain with large green eyes.

"I won't blame you if you never want to see me again," said Steve in a sorry voice. "I should have called-"

"Do you want to come in?" said Missy suddenly, cocking an eyebrow at him, and cutting across his sentence. "For a coffee or something?"

Steve was silent for a long moment or two, before his handsome face cracked into a relived smile.

"That'd be great," he said with a nod.

Missy's eyes dropped downwards as she headed back inside, propping the flowers up on her sideboard, feeling Steve following close behind her.

She wondered what he would make of her tiny apartment.

Surely it was nothing compared to his brand new living-quarters in the SHIELD base.

Suddenly Missy reddened, feeling completely embarrassed about the pile of laundry that was now sitting on her dining room table.

Almost instantly, she strutted over and gathered up the pile of unfolded clothes.

"S-Sorry," she uttered in a hurried voice. "I was just-"

But Steve merely shut the door quietly behind him and gave a wide smile.

"Nice place," he said with a nod.

His voice was earnest and there was no hint of sarcasm, and Missy, for the first time since his arrival, found herself relaxing slightly.

She dumped the clothes on her bed quickly before reappearing in the living room once again.

Steve was stood in the centre of the room gazing about fondly, as his eyes suddenly landed on Emily.

The tiny toddler obviously hadn't heard Steve at the door.

"Emily," said Missy cautiously taking few short steps towards her daughter and leaning over the back of the couch, stroking the little girls brown hair. "You want to say hi to Steve?"

It was a second or two before Missy's teeny daughter peered up at Steve, craning her little neck to look at him.

She blinked once.

Then twice.

Almost as if hoping for a second, that the tall, blonde man before her was someone else….

Before she gave a tiny huff, looking away disinterestedly and going back to her colouring.

Missy gulped and glanced at Steve.

"Sorry," she uttered biting her lip. "She's just a bit shy."

But Steve merely smiled that warm smile of his.

"No worries, I think I was just like that when I was a kid. Didn't want to know unless someone had candy or a set of marbles to play with."

Missy smiled back softly, staring at him.

He was so so different to Wade.

In so many ways.

Missy remembered the way in which Wade had pretty much burst into her life and teased her from the off.

He certainly hadn't been as charming or as nice as Steve was….

But maybe that was not what Missy liked.

Maybe she liked the teasing and the nicknames and the swearing…

Perhaps she had just liked Wade better…

He had been hers and she had been his.

And that was the way it should have always been…

But her own preferences weren't Steve's fault.

She needed to give him a chance at least…

"Again, sorry for earlier," said Steve suddenly braking Missy from her thoughts. "You look lovely, by the way. Both of you."

He rubbed the back of his neck nervously as Missy gulped, feeling her face flush slightly.

Again her thoughts flitted back to Wade.

"It's fine," said Missy giving an easy shrug. "I saw you on the news. Looks like you were kinda busy."

But Steve gave a frown, placing his hands on his hips.

"It was that _Deadpool_ again," he said scornfully. "The guy's a menace to society. It seems like for some reason he's trying to get my attention. He even wrote my name in gasoline this morning and threatened to set the entire city on fire until I came to talk to him."

Missy raised a single eyebrow.

"I don't know what his problem is," carried on Steve, shaking his head and giving a sigh. "It's like he just wants me to waste my time chasing him around the city while he smart-mouths me the entire time. And his use of bad language is _appalling,_ by the way…"

Missy smiled, trying not to chuckle, but Steve caught her look.

"I know, I know," he said rolling his eyes and smirking. "I'm an old man…."

Missy looked at him innocently, her lips twitching up into a grin.

"I didn't say anything," she muttered tearing her eyes away and raising her hands in defeat.

But it was Steve's turn to give a chuckle.

"So," said Missy after a moment or two, continuing. "Did you manage to catch him in the end? This Deadpool guy?"

Steve, for the slightest of seconds looked a little embarrassed, running hand through his blonde hair.

"Actually…Clint said he would try and head him off while I got away," said the Captain in a nervous voice. "I'd already told him I had plans today… _with you_."

Steve stared at Missy almost meaningfully.

But she couldn't do this….

Not yet anyway….

Missy gave a gulp tearing her eyes swiftly away.

"Coffee!" she blurted out, before she could stop herself, immediately reddening.

Steve looked a little startled for an instant before giving her a slow nod.

"Sure," he breathed, looking a little disappointed. As though the word 'coffee' was not what he had hoped would come from her lips.

Missy gave anther difficult gulp and hurried off into her tiny kitchen.

It was only when she had manged to make it around the corner and out of sight of Steve did she let out a long sigh of air, finally breathing normally again.

What was wrong with her?

Here was a normal, lovely guy just taking some interest in her…

And yet Missy couldn't even bring herself to prolonged eye contact between herself and the avenger….let alone anything more….

She hurriedly grabbed two mugs from the drainer and filled them with hot black coffee.

Right now Missy was so conflicted.

So confused….

She quickly strutted back into the living room on bare feet to find Steve now sat on the sofa, a space away from Emily.

He was peering at the toddler with a warm smile upon his face, his fingers linked before him.

Emily meanwhile was sat in her little blue giraffe leggings and blue dress, jabbering away.

She was pointing to the piece of paper in her hand.

"This mai Mommy wif tha blon' hair and this me wif tha brown hair," she said clearly.

In that moment, Missy was so proud of how he daughter was developing..

If only Wade could see her now.

"And who's that?" said Steve gently.

But there was a since as Emily peered down at the picture, finishing off part of Missy's blue dress with her crayon.

She obviously hadn't heard him.

Since her brush with the hospital last year again, Missy and Emily had gone ahead with their sign language, not wanting to try out hearing-aids again.

The toddler was improving in that area by the day, but her hearing was only worsening if truth be told.

Most days Missy or Janey's voice would have to be the only noise in the room for her even to hear them from close by.

And even then, she would have to be paying attention…

"Sorry," said Missy pursing her lips together as she stepped forwards into the room, placing a mug of coffee down in front of Steve. "S-She's partially deaf. S-She has trouble hearing sometimes-"

"Noh I don'!" came Emily's sudden voice as she looked up at Missy, her tiny mouth agape. "I finish Waydee in minit'. He not reddy yet."

With that, Emily pointed to a third figure on her piece of paper. A tall figure with short hair and a red checked jacket.

"That mai Daddy," she said, brandish the paper towards Steve bossily. "An' that duk."

She also pointed at hastily coloured duck on the corner of the page.

Missy smiled, almost rolling her eyes.

Emily certainly had adopted Wade's sassiness, that was for sure!

But suddenly, before any of them could say another word, there came a loud knock upon the front door.

Funny…. Missy certainly wasn't expecting anyone else today.

Steve glanced up at her questioningly, but Missy gave a cool sniff and headed over to the front door.

Whoever if was, she could just tell them to go away…

And so with that, Missy hurled open the front door…

….before stopping suddenly in her tracks….

...coming unceremoniously face-to-face with a man in a red and black mask.

* * *

 **Thanks to rosalie279, zenstarrflower, AngiMK, Legolas Girl 31, Wolfy Queen, Queenbeee222, Guest, Raging Raven, Guest, dancindonna, TenWing, hottieanimegurl, THE JUDGE OF FICS, Mia, jonstar1034, Smaug the Golden, Carlypso and Pinkusa for reviewing the last chapter.**

 **Sorry there wasn't much Wade in that chapter…..more coming soon though.**

 **Have a lovely Valentine's Day!**

 **Please review! :)**


	45. Chapter 45

Wade Wilson stared at Missy through the white eyes of his mask.

And despite all his anger and all his frustration…the usually mouthy-merc found himself unable to speak.

Right now, she, as always, looked like utter perfection.

Her long caramel hair was loosely curled and pinned back from her face, and her slim form was wrapped in a gorgeous, blue dress, Wade had never seen on her before.

She looked as amazing as the day he had met her and Wade felt more in love with her at this moment, than he ever had done before.

She was his one true love. His family…..and yet here he was, hiding behind a fucking mask.

Wade didn't really know what he had expected, coming here today.

All he _had_ known, once he had realised that Steve had disappeared, was that he needed to get the star-spangled avenger as far away from Missy as possible.

He wouldn't know what he would do if he found out Missy was in relationship with anyone else. He didn't even want to think about that right now…

He wished….oh, how he fucking wished, it could all go back to the way it used to be between them…

But now, standing here, Missy certainly wasn't staring at Wade with love in her eyes…

Her look was, instead, a mixture of fear and confusion, as her green eyes looked him up and down.

"S-Steve…" she called back behind her, cautiously, her voice breaking slightly. "I think it's for you…"

Fuck.

This wasn't what he had wanted.

He had never meant to frighten her….to make her nervous in her own home.

But as much as Wade wanted to say something….he just couldn't….

She'd hear his voice instantly and figure out it was him. And he couldn't let her see him like this….scarred and grotesque.

So he stayed silent.

Coward.

Missy's beautiful green eyes roved over his mask and he saw them linger at the guns at his belt and the katanas on his back.

Fuck. Why had he not left them around the corner, out of sight?

But Missy, the light of his life, looked at him sternly…a _gorgeous_ little frown line appearing between her brows.

"Listen, whatever you're here to do, you're gonna have to take it outside," she said in a cutting tone, folding her arms across herself defensively. "I've got a four year old in there, and if you _DARE_ do anything to upset her-"

Right now she looked like a lioness protecting her cub, and Wade hated himself for making her feel like that.

Bu the merc didn't have time to dwell on this, as a tall, blonde, good-looking figure appeared swiftly in front of Missy, blocking her from view.

"What the hell are you doing here, Deadpool?" growled Steve in an angry voice, glaring at Wade.

But the merc merely glared back behind the white eyes of his mask.

Fuck. He hated Captain Crunch and his perfect bone structure, and couldn't help but scowl furiously as Steve turned to Missy, his hand touching her forearm lightly.

"You should go back inside with Emily," the Cap uttered in a low voice.

Wade could felt his blood boiling.

How dare he say her fucking name…

"…I'm gonna go and deal with this alone," Steve continued. "Maybe we can reschedule coffee for another time."

With that, the Avenger flashed Missy a smile.

But Missy, to Wade's relief, did not reciprocate the smile, instead she merely peered back at the merc uneasily.

Though Missy did not have time to say another word, as a small voice rung out from behind her.

"Mommy, who der'?" came the oh-so-wonderful tones of the little girl Wade loved so much.

The little girl who made his heart ache, each and every day.

But Wade's heart plummeted to his stomach.

He couldn't allow himself to see her.

In fact he hadn't seen Emily since not even once since he had left….since before the events of Weapons X…and before the name Deadpool had ever even existed.

Missy he _wanted_ to see….but Emily…he just couldn't face it. That tiny girl had been his everything and yet he had abandoned her without even an explanation.

He didn't deserve to have a kid like her.

And that's why he couldn't bear to see her anymore. For it would only serve to break his heart even more that it already was.

That was why, as soon as Wade heard the voice, he backed swiftly away, his white eyes widening.

No, this wasn't the day for his usual smart-mouth…

This was a day for being a coward.

A total fucking coward…

And with that, Wade Wilson turned on his black-booted heel and left…

…without a single word….

* * *

Missy stared over Steve's shoulder, as the man known as Deadpool, disappeared out of sight.

What the hell had just happened?

"I thought you said you couldn't get him to shut up?" asked Missy, blinking a couple of times, confused about what had just gone down in her hallway.

The man in the red and black mask hadn't even said a word.

"This all seems a bit strange," said Steve in a solemn voice. "I'm gonna go after him. See if we can finally have him brought in."

Missy's eyes travelled up towards the Cap, as she shook herself.

"You sure you'll both be ok here on your own?" he asked after a second or two.

But Missy gave a shake of her head.

"Yeah, we'll be fine," she uttered slowly.

And with that, Steve gave a nod and hurried away after Deadpool.

But Missy paused in the doorway, her eyes flickering up towards Wade's old door, just across from hers, for the first time in months. But her vision was glazed over, her eyes unfocused…

Right now she felt confused.

Perhaps Deadpool had thought that this was Steve's apartment and hadn't expected a women to appeared at the front door.

Perhaps Missy had caught him off guard. But to her it seemed like there was something else…

Had he recognised her?!

The way his white, blank eyes stared at her….

But Missy physically shook herself, taking a step backwards and closing the door with a hurried snap.

Something about all that didn't seem right, but Missy, turning around and gathering Emily up into her arms did not want to hang about alone in an empty corridor to find out the truth, that was for sure.

* * *

Wade was at least a block from Missy's place, in a dingy little street, when he finally stopped to catch his breath and to wait for his scarred and torn heart to resume in its pounding.

Fuck.

Fuck fuck fuck.

He should never have gone there…to her apartment.

This entire fucking thing had been a mistake.

Wade was going to now go back to the place he shared with Al, down about six bottles of whisky, and pass of out for the night.

It was the only way he could forget about what he had just done.

Fuck.

He was such an idiot.

Wade gave a groan, letting his head drop back against the brick wall behind him with a thump.

He closed his eyes behind his mask.

Fuck.

But with his eyes closed, Wade didn't even have a chance to notice the broad and muscle bound figure of Steve Rogers as he made a grab for Wade's throat.

"Deadpool," Steve panted angrily, as Wade jumped out of his skin.

Somehow the merc manage to slip out of Steve's grasp easily, and leapt aside, out of the Avenger's clutches.

"Cap," said Wade with distaste, popping the 'p' loudly.

In a flash Wade had plucked one of his shiny desert eagles from its holster and now stood with the barrel pointing directly at Steve Rogers' head.

Steve glared back at him with steely-blue eyes. He had no weapons of his own, but Wade knew not to underestimate him.

"What the hell are you playing at following me?" scolded Cap, his hands balled up into fists at his sides. "What's your game, Deadpool?"

But Wade cocked his masked head at Steve, narrowing his white eyes toward him.

He gave an easy shrug.

"Oooooh, nothing much," uttered the merc in playful voice. "I was just hoping to find out your intentions towards that beautifully, gorgeous girl back there…"

"You leave her alone, and never darken her door again, or you'll have _me_ to answer to." snarled Steve, lowering his chin. "And I won't be going easy on you _then_. Are we clear?"

But Wade gave a chuckle.

"Aww, well, see, I think a girl like _that_ ," said the merc cocking a gloved thumb back over his shoulder. "well, she _kinda_ looked like trouble. Yeah. I'd watch her if I were you, maybe she's a bit of a risky date for the righteous Captain America."

But Steve shifted his weight from foot to foot, looking slightly bewildered by Wade's train of conversation.

"Why are you so interested in my love life all of a sudden?" said Steve quipping back.

But this only sought to make Wade angrier.

Love life?

Did he already see Missy as someone he loved?

Wade felt a bitter sting of jealousy rise up inside him.

"I'm just saying," uttered the merc in a dark and dangerous voice. "That maybe you should keep your popsicle penis in your pants, Captain Crunch, and leave her alone."

But Steve's eyes roved across Deadpool's masked face.

"What concern is it of yours?" said Steve narrowing his eyes curiously as though he was trying to work Wade out.

Fuck.

There was no way he could risk Rogers finding out who he really was.

That he and Missy….

Wade gave a gulp beneath his red and black suit and paused for a long moment, before giving a casual shrug.

"I'm just an innocent observer," he said in a playful tone, tutting.

He gave along faux sigh.

"I guess I'm just soooo jealous about anyone who comes between me and my _Cappy_ ," he continued in a childlike voice, strolling over and pinching at Steve's cheek, making sure his gun was still firmly trained on him.

The Cap pulled away instantly, grimacing.

"Well you'd better watch yourself, Deadpool," snarled Steve. "If I find out you've gone anywhere near her-"

But Wade merely turned on his heel and waved a hand in the Cap's direction.

"Yeah, yeah," sighed Wade disinterestedly. "You'll pummel me into the ground. I'm already looking forward to it…makes me all tingly when you talk to me like that, _Steven."_

And with that, and without another word, Wade walked casually off, slipping the gun back into his belt, knowing that Steve Rogers was staring daggers into the back of his head.

But right now, Steve fucking Rogers was the least of Wade's problems….

….the sooner he could get his old face back…..the better….

* * *

 **Sorry it was a short one. I'm a bit busy at the moment.**

 **Thanks to Wolfy Queen, QueenBeee222, jeffhardyluvsme, TiKiKiki, Raging Raven, Guest, Leandraviv, dancindonna, Legolas Girl 31, THE JUDGE OF FICS, rosalie279, MusicalPersephone, Mia, Pinkusa and LittleMissMikaelson1 for reviewing the last chapter.**

 **Let me know what you thought of this one…sorry if it was a bit angsty.**

 **Please review**


	46. Chapter 46

Day-times were always a slow time for Weasel.

Sister Margaret's only really got a couple of regulars in, in what he called the 'hangover hours'.

But today was different….

Weasel glanced up from his usual position, leant up against the bar, playing Rollercoaster Tycoon on his cell phone, as five weapon- wielding figures strutted in that afternoon.

The four men and one woman, looked around smugly as a few of the more reliable regular's eyed them up, scraping back their chairs ready for a fight.

"Can I help you ladies," said Weasel in a dark voice, as he pushed his glasses further up his nose.

The guy up front, with a shaved head and a wide grin, gave a nod.

"Oh, I do hope so," he uttered in a smart British accent. "I heard you might be able to point me in the direction of a friend of mine. Name of Wade Wilson."

Weasel gave a visible gulp.

Fuck. It was _so_ typical of Wade to get him into trouble like this.

The ugly avocado mother-fucker.

"Sorry, I don't know the name," retorted Weasel staring back at the British man with contempt on his face.

But the man merely gave an easy smile as the woman beside him with a steely expression, made her way around the bar and over towards Weasel.

Weasel flinched and made to duck aside as the woman made for his throat, but instead she merely plucked a small photograph from the fridge behind Weasel.

"I know this girl," she said in a low voice, brandishing the picture towards the smug British guy, who suddenly looked pleased. "She works for SHEILD. She was there when they took me in a couple of months ago."

Weasel frowned. It was the photo of Wade, Missy and her daughter that he had put up behind here a long, long time ago now.

But the man merely laughed.

"SHIELD huh? Mmmm, our friend Wade certainly has friends in dangerous places…" he uttered. "Oh and look. She's even got a kid we can use as leverage. How quaint!"

He looked practically cheerful as he threw Weasel a wave.

"Thanks for the info on our friend Mr Wilson," he uttered. "We'll be seeing you."

And with that, the five figures headed off out of the bar without another word.

Weasel gave a huff and reached for his cell once again, dialling Wade's number.

But it went to voicemail….

* * *

It was a Monday evening and Missy was certainly looking forward to a couple of days at home, just her and Emily.

She had just finished up and work and now had two days off to enjoy.

But despite her cheery mood, Missy still had something lingering on her mind.

Since Saturday, she had not been able to get the blank stare of the masked-man known as Deadpool, out of her head.

What had been with that guy?

She hadn't seen Steve since but knew that he had been hard at work across town this morning, taking down a group of drug smugglers with the help of Tony Stark.

Missy had thought about emailing him, to say thank you for Saturday, but thought better of it. She still wasn't sure how she felt about Steve Rogers coming over for 'coffee' anyway.

She almost felt like she was betraying Wade somehow….but unfortunately she knew deep down that her tall, stupidly-handsome neighbour was now long gone.

Tonight Missy had just arrived home, having said goodbye to Janey and busied herself with digging from fresh groceries out of the fridge.

Emily was stood in the doorway watching her, large fluffy bunny stuffed under her arm.

"Watchu doin', Mommy?" she asked peering up at Missy, one finger in her mouth.

Missy glanced over and smiled at her daughter.

"I thought we could make pizzas together, and then stay up and have a movie night," said the caramel-blonde woman in a kind voice.

Missy had been looking ford to a night like this for ages, where she and Emily could cuddle up underneath a blanket on the sofa and snuggle. Just the two of them.

But to her dismay she was met with a little frowny face from her teeny daughter.

"Noh, I nat hungry tonighh," said the little girl, rubbing her sock across the kitchen floor before her, making it grubby. "I wan' ta go to the park."

Missy let out a small huff.

Emily aaaaalways did this. It seemed like 'No' was her favourite word of late.

"The park?" said Missy giving her daughter a look. "But it's going to be dark soon, baby."

But at this Emily gave a grumpy little huff. This was not what the four year-old wanted to hear.

"I naat eatin' tonighh," she said in a bossy voice, jutting her bottom lip out. "I wanta go out!"

Missy shook her head, tutting and wondered if Emily had these kind of tantrums when Janey was about.

"Emily-" she began, but the toddler stamped up and down on her pink socked-feet..

"Noh!" cried the tiny girl. "Noh, I wanta go owtside!"

Missy frowned, turning away from her daughter and rolling her eyes. This was the last thing she needed right now.

She sighed.

Maybe if she just gave Emily her phone to play with for an hour, the little girl would get herself out of this mood and enjoy pizza night.

Emily always bothered Missy to play games on her cell phone, Missy was sure that was down to Wade playing endless games of flappy bird in front of the then-two year old when he had been around.

So Missy, reaching over for her purse on the far end of the counter, rifled through looking for her cell phone.

But it wasn't there.

Fuck.

Had she left it at work?

Missy vaguely recalled dropping down onto a stack of paperwork as she shut down her PC earlier that day.

Crap. She would definitely need it over the next few days.

She gave another heavy sigh, staring back down towards her grumpily little daughter who now had one of her socks half off and was dragging her foot across the lino floor, stretching out the cotton fabric.

"Hey," said Missy in a soft tone, bending down and picking Emily up in her arms, causing the toddler to look up at her with sad eyes.

Jeez. Missy was such a sucker for that look.

Perhaps if Emily was up for the walk, they could go out, pick up Missy's phone and still be back within the hour.

This way they could kill two bird with one stone.

Em could get her trip out, and Missy would still get her cosy movie night with her favourite- _happy_ \- person.

Missy smiled, cuddling the teeny girl close to her and nuzzled her nose against hers.

"Come on then, sweetie," she said titling her head. "Let's go for that walk…"

* * *

Wade Wilson was fucking miserable.

He knew he had been stupid, going to Missy's apartment like that, but it all would have been worth it if it had ensured that Steve Rogers would keep his clean, patriotic hands off her…

But unfortunately Wade had the feeling his appearance, would haven only driven Missy further into the Cap's arms.

But because of all that, Wade was focused.

He was now determined to find Francis and force him to change his face back to the way it was.

He had been tracking a couple of his team's vans for the last day or so and earlier this afternoon had received a tip off that Francis would be in this area tonight. Doing what- he had no idea, but Wade didn't care anymore. If he got him what he wanted, he couldn't give a crap about anything else.

So it was here, in the middle of the city, that Wade had come to this evening. The business district, with barely a soul around here, now that office hours were done for the day.

And luckily enough, Wade had only been around for a few minutes, strolling along in his red and black spandex Deadpool suit, guns at his belt, when there had been a screech of brakes close by.

A couple of blocks away he could see a black SUV zooming along between the tall skyscrapers. He knew it was sure to turn right up ahead and spin around and come his way.

Wade didn't even bother to draw his guns _just_ yet, smirking beneath his mask.

This was it.

This was his fucking chance.

Finally. He was os fucking confident. He was almost there now and nothing could mess this up…

But as he turned the corner, his heart dropped instantly into his stomach….his blood running cold.

For there was the black SUV racing towards him at full speed….

But he wasn't alone.

For just at that moment, crossing the road were two figures…

…walking hand-in-hand….with the most perfect smiles upon their faces…

* * *

"So," said Missy, staring down at her teeny daughter as she leapt down from the curb. "Shall we have some pizza when we get home?"

The sky was darkening now and Missy and Emily, having picked up her cell phone from her office desk were now heading back home through the empty streets.

"Yesh," said Emily peering up at her Mom smiling. "An' then watch Lilo an' Stech?"

Missy smiled as Emily clutched Missy's hand tightly, skipping across the road as they crossed.

"Of course we can watch Lilo and Stitch," said Missy in a kind voice.

But before either of the could utter another word, there was a loud screech of tyres….

And as Missy looked up to her right she froze like a rabbit in the headlights…

… her eyes widening into large green orbs… as she saw the van racing towards them…

Fuck…

She didn't have time to do anything.

She barely had a second…

But she didn't need it, as she felt a body slam into hers, knocking her off her feet.

* * *

Wade snatched up Emily in his arms, and shoved Missy aside as the van swerved around them.

The trio tumbled to the ground, Wade holding Emily out of harm's way, as he took the brunt of the fall.

"Aw, fuck," he cried as his ass hit the sidewalk hard, sending his utility belt flying from him, sliding along the floor.

The merc barely had a chance to look around to see the van disappearing around the corner, out of sight.

Jesus fucking Christ.

Francis now knew about Missy and Emily?

Fuck fuck fucking fuck.

This was not good.

Wade gave a groan, coming to sit up, but as he did so, his masked face was met with two large green eyes staring back at him.

Shit.

It was her.

Emily.

Gorgeous little Emily.

She looked like she had sprouted up since he's last laid eyes on her and at that moment, all the love he felt for the tiny little girl came flooding back to him, his heart aching.

The little toddler reached out and put her little paw to Wade's mask, squeezing the red lather between her pudgy fingers, her other hand in her mouth.

"Who you?" she said in a bossy voice, clambering up onto his lap.

She was so much more condident than she had been and Wade was almost sure that had been his influence.

Wade couldn't help himself, smiling to himself as he heard her voice, still as fuzzy as it always was, but to him, as perfect as ever.

"Hey there, Chicken Little," he said in a whisper, reaching up and stroking his gloved-hand across her chubby little cheek. "Long time no see."

For a second, Emily seemed to peer up at him curiously, before she opened her tiny mouth to speak again.

"Waydeeeeee, wat you doin' wearing that?" she asked him, pulling at the red spandex around his ear. "Wher' your mouf?"

Wade couldn't help but grin widely, giving a chuckle. Of course she had recognised his voice.

She was getting more intelligent and amazing by the day and Wade was sad that he had missed being away from her for so long. Mssing her growing up.

But before he could reply, there was a sudden scrabbling a few feet away from him, and he turned to see Missy looking groggy and disoriented, pulling herself to her feet hurriedly.

And much to Wade's dismay, in her shaking hands she held one of Wade's desert eagles.

"Y-You get away from her!" she cried loudly, staring at Wade.

She obviously hadn't heard him speak.

Missy's eyes looking like they were full of tears. "I mean it, I'll shoot you. L-Let her go, please. I'm begging you." she continued in a pained voice.

Wade felt a lump appear in his throat.

This was killing him.

But he knew just a couple or words would make everything better….

…..although they might also make things a _hell_ of a lot worse.

So Wade, as slowly and as carefully as he could, let Emily slip from his legs, as he got to his feet, staring Missy out through white blank eyes.

He could see her trembling and a tear or to slip down her beautiful cheeks.

What had he done?

He was single-handedly responsible for ruining this woman's life.

Letting her love him, then leaving her, and now putting her in mortal danger and messing with her mind.

Wade raised his hands aloft in a gesture of defeat.

That was when he knew it was time for him to leave.

* * *

Missy held her ground and watched as Deadpool sloped off yet again without a word.

As much as she was trying to hold it together, the moment he was gone, Missy dropped the gun and ran to her daughter, pulling her into her arms.

"It's ok, its' ok, baby," said Missy with a sob.

She could feel herself still trembling.

But Emily wriggled in her arms. "Noh Mommy, you squeezin' too tight," she uttered giving a tiny giggle.

Missy pulled away and held Emily at arm's length, stroking back her hair from her face motheringly.

The tiny toddler wriggled again, sticking out her tongue.

Oh god, what had just happened?

This was all down to this Deadpool guy, and she knew it.

He was to blame.

But really hadn't he just saved her and Emily's life? That van had been coming right at them with no chance of stopping.

Well whatever happened, all Missy knew was that she never wanted to let Emily out of her sight again.

But to Missy's surprise, the little girl seemed nonplussed about what had just happened to her, merely staring off over her shoulder in the direction Deadpool had disappeared off into.

Perhaps Emily was frightened that he would return…

"Mommy," said her daughter after second or two in a slightly slurred tone. "Why Waydee wearin' that?"

Missy gave a frown, staring at her daughter hard.

"Baby, that wasn't Wade-" she uttered in a confused voice, shaking her head.

But Emily gave her a scolding look in return.

"Yesh, that was," she said nodding firmly. "That was my Daddy!"

* * *

 **Are you guys team Wade or Team Steve? Or just team Emily & Missy FTW? ;)**

 **Thanks to rosalie279, Queenbeee222, AngiMK, THE JUDGE OF FIICS, dancindonna, starrat, zenstarrflower, Legolas Girl 31, LittleMissMikaelson1, jonstar1034, Pinkusa, Guest, Carlypso and Smaug the Golden.**

 **Sorry that chapter was a bit all over the place. I hope it was ok?**

 **Please review! :)**


	47. Chapter 47

"Shtop, Mommy! That ish too much milk," said Emily giving a giggle.

Missy blinked herself out of her trance, gazing down to see Emily's bowl of cheerios overflowing with liquid.

"Oh, sorry, baby," she said shaking her head. "Let Mommy get you another bowl."

Missy had been a in a world of her own all morning.

It was a Friday. Four days since her and Emily's near miss with the van, and yet Missy still had not been able to get her run-in with the masked man, out of her head.

What was Deadpool's problem with her?

Had it just been a case of right place, right time? Or had he been following the pair of them?

Whatever the case, Missy had already spoken about it to Steve yesterday in work, who had instantly asked if she and Emily were ok. He had even offered to come over last night and make sure the place was safe from intruders.

He was sweet, of course, but perhaps a little overbearing. Missy did not want a fuss. They were both fine and that was the main thing.

Missy swept away the overflowing bowl, heading into the kitchen and placing it onto the drainer, shaking herself.

What was wrong with her these past few days? She was on edge, but she knew the likely reason for it…

Emily, for the past two days, had done nothing but talk about their run-in with the masked man known as Deadpool.

She had jabbered on and on for hours about him, and how he had picked her up and talked to her.

But the worst thing was her instance that he was Wade. She was obsessed with the idea that underneath that mask was the man she called her Daddy.

Obviously she was confused. She was only young and Missy had no idea how traumas such as almost getting run over, affected kids as young as her.

Missy, grabbing a clean bowl, re-poured the cereal and some milk before heading into the living room where Emily was sitting at the dining table, mouth covered in red from the strawberry half she currently had squished in her hand.

Her eyes however were focused on the tv ahead of her, rolling the early morning news.

"Look Mommy, itsh Daddy!" she said bouncing up and down in her seat excitedly, pointing at the tv with her strawberry.

Missy turned to see a familiar image of Deadpool, in his red mask with white staring eyes, making a blurred out gesture towards the camera.

It looked as though SHIELD had now put a warrant out for his immediate arrest and Missy had an idea why….

She almost rolled her eyes as the TV showed a video of Deadpool dancing on a rooftop, next to a burning car.

Steve must have put the word out after Missy had told him what had happened. But Missy wasn't particularly happy about this. This would likely only exacerbate the entire situation….

"No, sweetie, that's not Wade," said Missy stroking the back of Emily's head. "Come on now, eat your cereal, ok?"

But Emily made a little face.

"When Waydee comin' home?" she asked placing down her strawberry and grasping for her spoon with her sticky little fist. "Why he not here wiv' us no more?"

Missy gave a sudden gulp.

Missy had never explained to Emily why Wade had left. The little girl had been too young and Missy had just never brought herself to give her the answers.

Whenever she had asked about Wade, Missy had just told her than Wade had loved her very much but he had gone away and wouldn't be able to come back.

But obviously the little girl was unconvinced by this.

"I told you, sweetie," said Missy in careful tone. "Wade's gone-"

But Emily cut across her bossily.

"Noh, Mommy, Waydee not gone," she said pointing at the TV. "Waydee there! He call me chikin' littel."

Missy gave a frown, glancing back over to the TV at the masked figure they were now describing as armed and dangerous.

Why had her daughter got it into her head that this was Wade? Perhaps she had dreamed about him and was getting confused.

"Just eat your breakfast, baby," she said Missy giving a worried sigh and moving off to get her things together ready for work.

* * *

It had been a long morning and Missy was just finishing up a mound of paperwork she needed to file, when her friend Ali passed by her desk.

Ali had pretty much forced Missy to dish the dirt on her date with Steve last Saturday. Missy had of course obliged her but had explained that it hadn't exactly been a date as such. Not with Deadpool around anyway.

"So I heard about your second run-in with the red guy with the dirty mouth," said her dark-haired friend, leaning up against Missy's cubicle, pulling apart a donut.

Missy blinked a couple of times and gave a frown.

"Sorry…what?" she asked, a little confused.

But Alison merely smirked shoving a piece of pink sprinkled donut into her mouth.

"Deadpool," Ali urged. "That guy's got quite a following online. You should _see_ what he writes on his twitter account. So funny…"

Missy looked unimpressed.

"No thanks," she uttered disinterestedly, giving a sigh. "I mean I've seen the guy twice and he hasn't said a word to me either time anyways. So I'm not going to start reading his tweets, thanks very much."

Ali merely smiled.

"Steve seems really protective over you though," she uttered in a sly sort of voice. Missy could see that she was angling for some gossip. "He looked _super_ pissed when he told me to push that news story about Deadpool to the press. Like he was ready to punch someone."

Missy tutted and cocked her head. "I doubt Steve Rogers will be punching anyone because of me," she muttered in a firm voice. "We're just friends."

"Yeah right," said Ali, with a disbelieving look. "Missy, you should be grateful you have two superheroes vying for your attention! Oh my god, what I wouldn't give to be one of their damsels in distress…phew!"

But Missy gave a gulp.

"Deadpool isn't vying for my attention….." she said shaking her head, sending her caramel blonde hair falling across her shoulders. "I-Is he?"

Is that what people around here thought? Was that what Steve thought?

Like Missy had said, he hadn't even uttered a word to her…

"Listen," said Ali raising an eyebrow and popping the last piece of donut into her mouth. "If he's making Steve Rogers jealous then he's obviously doing something to make him feel that way."

Missy stared up at her friend a little worried.

It wasn't exactly like she had been leading either of these men on. Especially not Deadpool. She didn't even know the guy.

"Don't look so worried!" said Ali giving a reassuring chuckle and sauntering off. "Just enjoy it while you can….I would be."

But Missy gave a nervous laugh and bit her lip.

Jeez…she certainly didn't feel like she was ready to enjoy anything…

* * *

All day Missy pondered her conversation with Ali.

Why was Deadpool so interested in her?

She had barely heard his name before last week and now there were even rumours floating around about him and her.

But maybe that's all it was. Silly rumours.

Maybe he _had_ just been looking for Steve that day and maybe he _had_ just happened to be passing when that van had almost run them over.

Yeah, a coincidence was all it was…surely?

Steve had stopped by her desk for five minutes earlier just to see how she was.

He had flashed her that usual charming smile of his and had even bought her a take-out coffee.

They had chit-chatted for a few moments before he had to rush off, being hurried along by Maria Hill, and throwing her a wave as he went.

But that was now hours ago and Missy could finally feel the effects of the coffee wearing off.

Tonight she and Emily were sat in the little girl's room, Missy reading her daughter a story in the dim-lamp light as the little girl snuggled up next to her.

"…and the Mummy vampire kissed her goodnight, and the Daddy vampire kissed her goodnight," said Missy slowly in what was just the lightest of whispers. "…and before the little witch knew it she was fast asleep."

Missy placed the book down onto the nightstand and peered at the tiny toddler, nested in the crook of her arm.

She looked perfect, sleeping soundly as she always did.

Missy gave a smile and pulled herself up from the bed, easing Emily down onto her pillow and tucking her in.

Why did she need anyone else when she had this beautiful little girl?

Missy made to turn off the lamp, but as her hand reached it there came a sleepy little voice.

"I miss mai Daddy vamire," uttered the tiny girl. "Wen is Waydee comin' to see me again?"

Missy's heart broke.

She reached across and stroked back Emily's hair as her green eyes drifted shut.

"Go to sleep, baby," she uttered in a soothing voice, before flicking off the lamp.

It was early evening, barely even seven, yet in the time it had taken to get Emily bathed and put to bed, the sky outside had grown dark.

Yet Missy padded back into the living room, still in her work blouse and pencil skirt, on bare feet, in the darkness.

She would turn a lamp on across the room rather than putting on the main light, but she had barely gone a few steps, when there came a sudden creak….

Missy spun around to see a figure standing there in the darkness….in front of the window silhouetted in the pale moonlight.

She jumped in fright, her heart beginning to thud in her chest….

It was a man, she was sure of that….but in the gloomy light of the room, couldn't make out any more…

She squinted in the darkness, freezing….

Frightened and unable to move.

Wait…..

Was it?

Missy gave a confused frown.

"Deadpool?"

* * *

 **Thank you to Brookeworm3, srosal1, hottieanimegurl, rosalie279, jonstar1034, CaptainWilliamsN7, dancindonna, Raging Raven, Wolfy Queen, TikiKiki, Smaug the golden, Guest, Legolas Girl 31, THE JUDGE OF FICS, Pinkusa, BellaFantasia, Queenbeee222 and Guest for all your lovely reviews!**

 **Sooooooo….who do you think is there?**

 **Please review!**


	48. Chapter 48

'You can do this…." murmured Wade under his breath. 'Jesus fucking _Christ_ , stop being such a pussy and just man-up and do it. Just tell her the truth.'

The merc let out a long calming breath.

He was ready…

* * *

It was a Saturday and Steve Rogers had already had a pretty busy morning. He'd been out for a run at 6 am as usual, gone home, had a shower, and gotten changed into his favourite leather jacket and smart pants. Then he had enjoyed a breakfast of eggs at his favourite diner in Brooklyn.

It was only after all that had Steve headed into work, over at the SHIELD building.

He knew Missy was working today and Steve was thinking that, as she was being made to work a weekend, that he might be able to convince her to grab a long lunch break with him….maybe try this new-fangled sushi thing, everyone kept talking about.

And so, strutting across the large open-plan office, he came to stop besides Missy's desk.

But she wasn't there…

Steve gave a frown, glancing at her blank PC computer screen before gazing about.

He suddenly caught Maria Hill by the arm as she walked by, her eyes fixed on the tablet in her hand.

"Hey Maria, you seen Missy today?" he asked shifting his weight from foot to foot.

Maria's eyes flickered from Steve to Missy's empty desk, before she turned to face the Avenger fully.

"No, she never turned up this morning," said the dark-haired woman politely. "We tried calling her cell, but got no answer."

Steve stared at Maria for a long moment before clenching his jaw in anger.

He let go of Maria's arm and stalked back quickly across the room.

"S-Steve? Is everything alright?" Maria called after him.

But Steve did not give a reply.

He had a feeling he knew who was responsible for this…

* * *

It didn't take long for Steve to arrive at Missy's.

He had come on his bike…going _way_ over the speed limit, but right now he didn't care. He just wanted to make sure she was ok. He cared for her. As a friend, of course, but part of him desperately hoped for something more…

Bursting through the main doors, Steve headed up the hallway stairs two by two, up to the third floor.

He was there in a matter of seconds, coming to halt at her hallway landing….just as another figure appeared out of the elevator doors in front of him….

…A masked man, in a red and black suit…..carrying an enormous hamper, filled with what looked like flowers, chocolates and a giant teddy-bear.

In a flash, Steve had closed the gap between them, slamming Deadpool into the wall behind him.

"What the hell are you doing here Deadpool?" growled the Cap angrily, causing the merc to let out a playful yelp of surprise, dropping the hamper of goodies to the floor in fright.

It took a moment for the masked menace to look up at him, his white eyes narrowing…

"I could ask the same about you Captain Douchebag?" said the merc in a dangerous tone. "I am here to profess my love for the beautiful goddesses in that apartment, and tell them the fucking truth. Finally! Even if they do kick me out or run away screaming. And if you even _think_ about getting in my fucking way-"

But Steve gave a frown, letting go of Deadpool instantly and taking a step back.

"Wait…" he uttered giving a confused look. "I thought she was with you?"

The Cap saw the mercenary pause for a long, long second before he lowered his chin darkly.

"And why the fuck would you think that, Cap?" said Deadpool in a low voice, popping the 'p' with poison to his tone.

But Steve ignored him, instead, crossing the hallway over to Missy's door.

But he stopped suddenly, his blood running cold…..

The front door was wide open, and just inside was an upturned side table with papers and a smashed vase full of flowers strewn across the wooden floorboards.

Steve didn't move but felt a sudden shoulder bump his, as the masked figure of Deadpool shoved past him, staring with white eyes into the dark and empty apartment.

Steve watched him stare around for a moment before he suddenly turned back towards the blonde Avenger, looking furious…. more furious than Steve had ever seen him.

He pulled on of his guns from his belt and pointed it directly at Steve's face.

"You want to tell me what the FUCK is going on?" he said in a deadly voice, letting out a low growl.

Steve breathed hard.

"Missy never turned up for work this morning…"he uttered firmly. "I thought it was _you_ ….that you were involved somehow…"

Deadpool was silent for another excruciatingly long moment.

Steve could see that his shoulders were tense and his jaw was clenched beneath his mask. But it was only a mere second, before he let out a loud roar.

"FUCK!" he cried kicking the upturned table, sending it flying against the wall. "Fuck fuck FUUUCK!"

Steve took a step back.

What the hell was going on here? Why was Deadpool acting like this about two people he barely even-

"Wait…." said Steve cocking his head at the masked man, his blue eyes searching his blank features. "D-Do you know them?"

Deadpool lowered his gun, still raging, his chest rising and falling, adrenaline obviously pumping through his veins right now.

"Ding ding ding," said Deadpool in a snarling voice. "Ten points for Captain fucking Underpants. You really want a fucking medal for getting that one? Of course I fucking know them. Those two gorgeous ladies are my entire fucking world…"

Steve's eyes widened suddenly. Realisation suddenly dawning on him.

"It's you…" he said staring at the masked mercenary. "You're the guy from the photograph….the one on Missy's desk. You're Emily's father?"

But Deadpool narrowed his white eyes at Steve, approaching him threateningly.

"Of course it's me. FUCK! I was supposed to have fucking kept away…kept my fucking distance…" said the merc scowling and pointing a finger at Steve. "But then _YOU_ decided to get your old-man balls out of retirement and tried to date the love of my fucking life. Of course I had to fucking step in. And now….FUCKKKK!"

Wade turned, kicking the table once more, braking it to pieces.

But then, before either of them could say another word, a phone buzzed loudly from Deadpool's utility belt.

He extracted it instantly and read the screen, giving a furious groan.

"Shit, cock, balls, fucking fuck!" he yelled with a roar, before stopping and breathing hard, his head bowed low.

Steve stared at the masked man for a long moment before making up his mind.

He could see the pain that was now coursing through Deadpool at this very moment. And he knew what he had to do.

Steve needed to help him.

"What do you need, Deadpool?"

* * *

Missy gave a groan as she tried to open her eyes.

Somewhere in the distance she could hear Emily crying. Or was it close by? She wasn't sure...

"Shhh, it's- it's ok, sweetie," Missy murmured in a mere whisper, feeling dazed, shaken and disorientated. "M-Mommy's here…"

She tried to lift her pounding head, squinting her blurred and woozy eyes, as her vision swam before her.

What was going on?

Missy tried her hardest to recall where she was…

She felt uncomfortable, her body twisted.

The man in her apartment…

That hadn't been Deadpool…

But Missy barely had time to contemplate this any further, as a cloth, covered in a foul smelling liquid, was placed suddenly across her mouth and nose.

She tried to pull away, but found herself slipping out of consciousness.

"That's it. You just go back to sleep, love," came a strong, male, British voice….

As everything fell, once again, into darkness…

* * *

 **Sorry, I tricked you all. But I think you all know what's coming next…..**

 **Thanks to THE JUDGE OF FICS, Wolfy-Queen, jonstar1034, rosalie279, Smaug The Golden, Raging Raven, QueenBeee222, Guest, AngiMK, Legolas Girl 31, Pinkusa and Sabrina Colt for reviewing the last chapter.**

 **More to come soon….if you like?**

 **Please review**


	49. Chapter 49

Missy gave a groan.

Her head pounded like crazy, feeling like she had just gone ten rounds in boxing ring.

She blinked her eyes open, feeling woozy and disorientated.

It was then and only then, did she remember who she had seen in her living room.

It had not been Deadpool after all, but instead another man had emerged from the shadows…

And before Missy had even been able to say a word, she had been hit over the back of the head and blacked out.

She blinked a couple of times, gazing around…

It was daytime now, and Missy found herself on some sort of rooftop, with her hands lashed tightly to a metal pole.

She was still dressed in her, now-dusty work clothes, made up of a dark pencil skirt and white blouse, with nothing but high heels on her feet.

But her heart began to pound, and her eyes darted this way and that, desperately….

"Oh, morning beautiful'," said a sudden male voice from her side, as a hand grabbed her face roughly.

It was a British voice and Missy raised her gaze skyward, staring directly up at the man she had seen only last night. The man that had been standing in the darkness.

He was medium build and muscular, with a shaved head and a unfaltering smirk.

A woman stood beside him, with short dark hair and her strong hand on Missy's face, her own features fixed into a tight grimace.

"You can let go now, Angel," said the man, placing his hand to the woman's forearm gently. "I think Melissa probably has a pounding headache to contend with, right about now."

But Missy didn't react to his comment. Her thoughts were not on herself any longer.

She found herself getting angry. No, more than angry. Furious.

"Where the hell is my daughter, you absolute fucking cock-suckers!" roared Missy, tugging against her bonds.

That was all she could think about…where her beautiful baby girl was right now.

And if anything had happened to her, there would be hell to pay…

But the man merely smiled his horrible smile.

"Oh I see you've got a mouth on you. You _and_ Wade," he said in a simpering tone, giving a laugh. "Don't worry, sweetheart. Your daughter's fine. She's just taking a little rest."

With than the man stepped aside and Missy gazed up, her eyes widening..

For there was Emily, unconscious, in what looked like a large glass coffin, her little arms and legs strapped up.

"We haven't turned the machine on….yet," said the man with a smirk. "But you never know, she might just come out with a pretty great mutation-"

"I'm going to kill you!" said Missy getting to her feet suddenly, the bonds around her wrists the only thing keeping her from tearing at the man's face. "You fucking monster! She's four years old!"

"And yet she's perfect leverage for when your boyfriend comes calling…" said the man, grinning. "Which he ultimately will."

"You've got the wrong people," said Missy shaking her head. She didn't even know who these maniacs were…. it couldn't be them they were after. "My boyfriend….he's dead."

She was pleading….desperate...her eyes flickering back over to where her daughter lay unconscious.

"See, we thought that too," said the man before her, cocking his shaven head to the side. "But he keeps coming back….like a cockroach…..but uglier."

Missy scowled, pulling at her restraints once again.

She had no idea what this guy was talking about but it couldn't be _them_ they needed…..Wade was dead…..

"Now _I_ may not feel, but _he_ does," he uttered. "So let's see how he fights with yours and your daughters heads on the block."

Missy gave a roar, trying her hardest to pull herself upright.

She wanted to kill this guy….

No, she was _going_ to kill this guy, if it was the last thing she ever did…

Suddenly there was a loud yell from below, distracting the two figures long enough for Missy to kick one high-heeled foot out, jabbing the woman known as Angel sharply in the leg.

The woman turned instantly giving an angry scowl.

Fuck…

Angel leaned down, grabbing Missy tightly around the throat cutting off her air supply.

Missy gasped for air, her feet scrabbling against the ground beneath her.

"Angel…" warned the man at her side, turning back. "Ah, ah, ah….now don't do anything stupid….we need her."

But Angel did not let go, her fingers pressing hard into Missy's skin.

Missy could feel herself getting lightheaded and weak…trying as hard as she could to gasp for air.

But within a second it was over. The man's scolding had done the trick, and Missy felt the pressure against her throat loosen as Angel pulled her hand away.

Missy fell back against the metal scaffolding behind her, taking deep, painful gulps of air.

She barely noticed the sounds of the man calling over the edge of the rooftop to someone…her mind still not with it…

Her eyes travelled back over to Emily.

How the fuck was she going to get them both out of this?

Missy felt angry tears prick at her eyes.

Who else did they have to save them now?

* * *

Wade watched the man known as Francis, falter slightly, as he took in the four figures stood either side of the merc.

I mean, it wasn't every day Wade would have four Avengers at his side. He certainly had to thank Captain Underpants for _that_ one.

"I see you've brought the cavalry," said Francis, in a _slightly_ less confident voice, than Wade remembered.

Wade, although completely enraged, tried to play it off cool.

"Yeah," he said with a shrug, causing his red spandex suit to squeak slightly. "I would have rather the X-Men, but o' Wolvie wasn't available."

From beside him Tony Stark, dressed in his full Iron Man suit, scoffed.

"Are we getting on with this fight or not?" he said in a bored tone. "Some of us have a multi-million dollar empire to be getting back to running."

"Yeah, yeah, Tony," said Rhodey on his other side. "You mean sitting on your couch drinking scotch and watching re-runs of Supernanny all day…"

Stark gave an easy sigh. "What can I say…Coulson got me into it…"

But Tony's sentence was sharply cut off by the figure of a woman leaping from the high ledge above them.

Wade tapped Steve on the shoulder enthusiastically.

"She's gonna do the superhero landing," he murmured, bouncing up and down on the balls of his feet. "Wait for it-"

Angel slammed into the ground with a loud thud.

"Wooooo," uttered Wade clapping. "Y'know that's really hard on your knees. Totally impractical. They all do it."

But the three men at his side- Steve Rogers, Captain Rhodes, Clint Barton and Tony Stark, all ignored him.

Instead the Cap stepped forwards, raising his red, silver and blue shield before him.

"Don't worry, I've got this…" he growled, as he walked out to meet Angel.

"Super," said Wade in a slightly bitter voice.

Having Steve come along did have its advantages, such as a group of superheroes on hand to help out, but that did not mean he was Wade's friend. Nuh uh. Not by a long shot.

He had gotten in the way of Wade and his two favourite girls for too long.

Wade thought about them, likely both up there on that roof top.

Fuck if anything had happened to them, Wade would tear apart this entire universe in anger…nothing would be able to stop him.

He turned to Tony, as Clint and Rhodey marched forwards as several armed men appeared all around them.

"Alright then, Iron Giant," he said cornering the metal- masked man. "Whilst Captain Popsicle is taking down….well, _her."_

He cocked his thumb at the angry-looking Angel.

"I'm gonna need _you_ to do me a favour…"

* * *

Missy tugged against her bonds desperately. She needed to get out of here and rescue her baby girl.

She could feel the cable ties at her wrist loosening slightly…..if only she could prise her hands free…

She could feel the plastic cutting into her skin but she didn't care…..anything to get Emily out of her safe and well.

But before Missy could think on this any further a sudden hand grabbed her arm hard.

"It looks like your boyfriend has brought some of his pals along…" he said pulling out a large knife and holding it to Missy's face. "Now we can't have that, can we?"

Her breath hitched in her throat as the glinting blade passed in front of her eyes.

What the fuck was this guy talking about? Boyfriend?

Then it occurred to her…

Did he mean Steve?

Oh no….had Missy really gotten herself mixed up in some silly superhero business? Yes she worked for SHIELD but she never expected that this kind of thing would ever creep over into her personal life….and yet here she was…

Her daughter was in danger, she had a knife in her face, and all because she had smiled at Steve Rogers…

Suddenly there was a loud cry from behind her.

"Oh Francis," came a sudden loud voice. "Yoohoo!"

Both Missy and the man before her frowned, looking around, only to see the most unusual sight Missy had ever laid eyes on

For there…..flying about seven feet off the ground, was the masked figure of Deadpool, being held in the air by Iron Man himself.

Deadpool was holding onto Iron Man's leg for what looked like dear life.

What the hell were _they_ doing here? Where was Steve? Were these the 'pals' Francis was talking about?

"Alright, alright," said the masked mercenary known as Deadpool. "Cool entrance _done_ ….you can put me down now."

Missy's frown deepened.

Why did she recognise that voice?

She began to breathe hard, as she peered around Francis' still and furious frame.

Iron Man did as he was told...setting Deadpool down gently and Missy watched as the merc staggered about ever so slightly for a moment caching his footing.

But right at that second, Missy's attention was caught by something else….a sudden stirring, coming from the glass coffin to her left.

No, no, no, no….

Deadpool obviously caught it too, because his white eyes immediately slid towards the awakening little girl.

Missy watched in horror as Emily blinked for a second, behind the thick glass and tried to move her hands and legs.

"Mommy!" came a her tiny voice of urgency as she began to cry, staring about. "Mommy, I scawed!"

And she did look petrified.

Missy's heart almost tore in two.

But to Missy's surprise she heard Deadpool let out a low growl and pull the swords from his back, marching over toward the glass coffin.

But before he could do so, Missy felt a blade press into her neck.

"Now before you go and do anything stupid," said Francis in a cocky tone. "I'd urge you to think about the consequences of that little cherub growing up without a Mum."

Francis pulled Missy to her feet, the ties at her wrists cutting into her flesh painfully.

At her neck she could feel the warm trickle of blood as the blade pierced her flesh lightly.

Deadpool stopped in his tracks, as behind them Emily continued to cry.

"Oh and maybe you should tell your little guard-dog to fuck off too," sneered Francis, nodding towards the hovering Iron Man.

"I'm no one's guard dog, pal-" began Tony, but before he could finish, several bullet's from a couple of heavily armed men ricocheted off his metal suit, distracting him from further conversation with Francis.

"Now that's better," said the British man, smiling, his fingers digging into Missy's arm. "Now it's just us….happy families. Isn't that right, Wade?"

Missy blinked.

What had he just said?

Her green eyes flickered over to where the masked figure of Deadpool stood, still and unmoving.

She parted her lips…a frown line appearing between her brows…

Deadpool, stared at her for a long, long moment…..his white eyes boring into hers…

"I'm gonna get you both out of here," came his sudden voice…..now so recognisable… "I fucking promise."

Missy's eyes widened….her heart thudding in her ribcage…barely noticing the single drop of blood that was running down her collarbone, staining her white silken blouse.

Tears pricked at her eyes.

No…it couldn't be him….

Not after all this time…..

"Wade?" she said shaking her head, her voice wavering.

All this had to be a mistake. Wade had left them because he was dying...that's what he had told her...

It couldn't be him...it just couldn't be.

But the masked man merely gazed back at her, giving a noticeable gulp behind his red spandex costume...

"Hey, Mama-Bear..."

* * *

 **Until next time...**

 **Sorry if that was a bit rubbish. I've just been super tired this week and it's really hard to change up this scene without just copying it word for word from the movie. That's why I prefer to write my own AU and use my own OC's as I know the situations and conversations will be slightly different.**

 **Anyway thanks so much to rosalie279, THE JUDGE OF FICS, dancindonna, bwilliams1297, hottieanimegurl, jeffhardyluvsme, Guest, zenstarrflower, AngiMK, Legolas Girl 31, LovePool13, Mia, Kisses N Cyanide, Smaug The golden, Queenbeee222, jonstar1034 and Guest for reviewing the last chapter.**

 **Do let me know what you thought. Oh and have a lovely weekend! :)**

 **Please review!**


	50. Chapter 50

Missy felt like her legs were about to give out from underneath her.

This surely wasn't happening.

Wade was dead…

She breathed hard, her shoulders tensing, her eyes locked onto the masked figure stood before her.

Missy barely cared about the man holding a knife to her neck right now. All she was concerned about was the man that had lied to her….all this time.

"You told me…" she said, angry tears pricking at her eyes. "In that letter..…you lied to me…."

She saw Wade take a step forwards, her red suit squeaking slightly as he moved.

"I didn't….it's just…look, I'm an asshole. I should've-" he began but Missy cut across him, furiously pulling at her bonds.

" _Yes_ you're a fucking asshole!" growled Missy. She could feel her blood boiling by the second. "I trusted you and you just… _.left_ us! After all you knew about us. What Scott had done, how we'd been hurt by that…..and your decision was to leave?!"

From their side Emily continued to cry, harder and louder now, as gunfire sounded all around.

Both Missy and Wade's eyes flickered over to the little girl.

"Oh, isn't this touching," said her shaven haired captor. "Like an episode of Jerry Springer."

But Missy was in no mood for this….she had been fucked around by these idiots for far too long.

"And you can shut the fuck up too," snarled Missy now turning her attention to the man Wade had called Francis. "You have my fucking daughter, you have a fucking knife to my throat, but don't you _dare_ think you can patronise me!"

Missy was furious.

What the hell was it with these men?

She kicked her knee up suddenly, hearing a loud crunch as it collided squarely with Francis' testicles.

He barely flinched, merely staggering backwards a foot or two, but luckily dropping his knife to the ground…

Missy took her chance, using her other foot to kick the knife away, and hastily pull her wrist painfully from the cable tie holding her to the metal post.

Freeing one hand hurriedly, she looked over at the masked mercenary who was just standing there in shock, staring at her.

"Uh….you wanna go get our daughter, Asshole?!" she yelled loudly, still so angry with him.

Instantly Wade did as he was told….just as Francis looked up at Missy once again, smirking. His full attention on her now.

"Oh darling you have made a big, big mistake," he said with a dark chuckle, suddenly lunging forward once again and grabbing Missy by the hair roughly.

She let out a yelp of pain, trying as hard as she could to push him away with her one free hand…but it was no use.

But luckily for Missy, before she could take a breath, Wade had taken his chance, leaping forwards, towards the British man, his swords held aloft. And at this, Francis let go of her instantly.

Missy watched with a mixture of awe and horror as Wade, kitted out in red leather and spandex fought well, brandishing his two katanas as he did so.

This wasn't the Wade she had known…surely?

What had happened to him in these last ten months?

Missy leaned over, quickly tugging the second cable tie from her wrist, finally freeing herself, before running as fast as she could on her high-heels across the rooftop towards her daughter.

Missy, still in her tight pencil skirt, skidded on the asphalt-covered roof as Wade and the man named Francis fought nearby, and as bullets and blasts between Tony Stark and various snipers rained overhead.

She finally came to a stop, reaching the case Emily was trapped in and heaved it open quickly.

"Baby, its ok, Mommy's here. It's all going to be ok, I promise," said Missy, fumbling with the clasps, as her green eyes met with her daughter's.

The little girl instantly began to wail louder, trembling under Missy's grasp as she began to undo the straps on her ankles and arms.

"It's a-alright," Missy stuttered as she tried as best as she could to compose herself, pulling her daughter from the glass case and letting her gently to the ground. "There all better no-"

But before she could utter another word, she was thrown off her feet by a sudden body tumbling into hers.

She braced herself, waiting for the impact, but instead she felt a firm body, position itself between her and the ground, shielding her.

She rolled over, landing on the asphalt with a bump, but remained pretty much unscathed….blinking her eyes up at the man beside her.

It was Wade…

She heard him give a groan, his head turning towards hers….but to her horror she saw that Francis' knife was impaled through his chest…

"Wade!" she cried, her mouth hanging open as she scrabbled up, coming to lean over his spandex covered torso…

All this…..and she was going to lose him…again!?

Right now Missy couldn't tell if she was angry with him or devastated that he may slip out of her reach once again…for good this time.

Wade reached a gloved hand up to her face, and Missy allowed him to brush his fingers across her scratched and tear stained cheek…

"Can I just say…" said Wade, with a difficult gulp.

No, no, no…she couldn't lose him. Not now…

He paused, and Missy could tell that beneath his mask he was wincing with the pain.

"What?" asked Missy in a gentle voice, placing her own hand now, to his masked face in return. "What is it Wade?"

"Can I just say…" repeated the familiar voice of Wade Wilson. "…that your ass looks _soooo_ fucking hot in that skirt."

Missy blinked…

She narrowed her eyes, suddenly peeling herself off of the masked mercenary.

"What?" she uttered in a dangerous voice.

But Wade lifted himself up onto his elbows and pulled the knife from his chest easily, covering his suit in splatters of blood.

Missy grimaced and scrabbled up and to her feet, staring at Wade in horror.

What the hell?

Just over the way, Missy noticed Steve and Tony now stood clutching Francis between them.

The gunfire was now over …..and despite the utter destruction that littered all around them, the rooftop was almost silent….calm.

But Missy was in fact, the opposite of calm right now.

At this moment she was furious…angry that both she and Emily had been caught up in all this.

She turned to Wade who had now got to his feet, standing just an inch or two away from her…

Missy breathed hard…her teeth gritted and her jaw clenched…

….as she stared up into Wade's white eyes….

The sound of her hand colliding with his masked cheek sounded across the silent rooftop like a gunshot…causing Steve, Tony and even Francis to wince.

"You left us Wade," said Missy angry tears sploshing down her cheeks, before she could stop herself. "Why did you leave us? Huh? What to run around playing superheroes while we have to get on with our lives thinking you were dead?! You utter asshole!"

Missy was shaking….

She was so so angry. Every bit of sorrow. Every bit of hurt and pain she had felt these last few months came boiling up in the form of fury.

None of this was fair. On her, or on Emily…

"I'm so fucking sorry," said Wade, in a low voice, quieter that he usually was, reaching out for her face with his gloved hand.

"Don't give me your sorrys Wade!" Missy shouted, pulling violently away from him. "I've just been held at knifepoint by some…freak! My daughter- OUR daughter, has just been tied up in some glass coffin…and you pull a knife out of you like it's nothing! Sorry won't cut it right now. But a fucking explanation will!"

Missy was serious. More serious than she had ever been.

"Listen…" said Wade causing Missy to roll her eyes, before he had even uttered the word. "I fucked up. BIG TIME. And I can't tell you how many months I've been trying to track down this mother-fucking asshole, so that I can be back with you again."

He let out a hard sigh.

"You were here…." uttered Missy through gritted teeth, poking at his spandex covered chest with her finger. "You came to my door for God's sake-"

"Baby, you need to understand.." said Wade, grasping her jabbing hand and stopping it in its tracks. "I'm not the same guy under here as you remember..."

Missy gave a gulp…her green eyes roving across his red mask.

"I loved you, Wade…" she uttered, trailing off as her voice began to break.

Right now she couldn't look at him anymore. Her heart breaking.

She was so torn…all she had dreamt of during these long months was a chance to see him again. But to find out he had been here the entire time and hadn't even bothered coming to see her and Emily.

It was as though history was repeating itself. First Scott, now Wade…

What was so wrong with them that no one wanted them?

Missy turned around, pulling away from him and wanting nothing more than to hold her daughter, right at this second.

But Emily, to Missy's surprise, had stopped crying and now had one finger in her mouth, staring up at the masked man before her.

Missy lifted her into her arms, pressing kiss to the top of her head warmly. Glad she was safe.

But to her surprise, Emily merely gave a giggle.. reaching her hands out over Missy's shoulder.

"Daddy I wan' cwuddle," came Emily's sudden voice, making grabby hands at Wade.

Missy gave a frown, wiping the tears from her own cheeks and gazing up, as Wade reached out and lifted Emily into his strong arms.

"Hey there, Chicken Little," he murmured in a playful tone as Emily reached up and toyed with the black leather patch at his shoulder. "I need you to congratulate you for being pretty much the bravest little girl I've ever fucking seen out there."

Emily stared at him for a moment, tilting her head questioningly, but she didn't say another word.

"Now…. Daddy has got to go and tell the bad man off, ok?" said Wade, jiggling her in his arms. "So you stay over here and be a good girl for your gorgeous Mommy."

Missy merely gave Wade a sad look, her eyes drifting from his, as he passed Emily to her once more.

But after he had done so, he lifted a hand to Missy's face.

"I'm not fucking you around here, I promise," he said with a meaningful nod. "I've made too many dick moves to do that to you again. So I'm gonna go and get my beautiful face back from the asshole who took it from me in the first place and then I'll be back. I fucking promise."

Missy stared at him long and hard before giving a difficult gulp, as Wade's hand drifted away and he turned on his heel marching over to Francis, who was stood, arms both gripped tightly by the two Avengers at his sides.

"I'm guessing Legolas and the cooler-version of Iron Man have less-Angry Rosie O'Donnell under control down there," said Wade loudly, causing Steve to scoff.

"Can't you ever just use people's real names," uttered Steve tiredly, shaking his blonde head, as Tony laughed.

"I think we need to teach you some superhero nickname etiquette, Ol' man Rogers," said Wade in a sing-song voice, before he turned his attention to the now smirking Francis. "But first…. _you_. You're gonna reverse everything and fix the _fuck_ out of this butter face-"

But before Wade could finish, Francis let out a loud chuckle, causing Missy's blood to run cold.

"You sure are a fucking idiot," he said shaking his shaven-head. "Are you fucking serious? You actually think there's a cure….for _that_?!"

Wade stopped suddenly in his tracks.

"What?" he murmured in a deadly voice, Missy could see that his shoulders were hunched and tense.

"You heard me," spat Francis. "There's. No. Cure. Fucking hell. You're stupider than I thought."

Missy saw Wade suddenly look skyward and let out a pained cry, as everyone around remained silent, even Emily.

"So you mean to say," began Wade, after a brief moment, anger and distress growing I n his voice. "After all this, you can't actually fix me? Because if that's the case, then why the _fuck_ am I keeping you alive?"

Suddenly Wade produced a gun from his person and held it up to Francis' face.

"Whoah, whoah!" said Steve and Tony simultaneously. "Stand down soldier!"

But Wade's masked face was twisted up into a dark grimace.

"Any last words?" he murmured, removing the safety on his weapon.

"Yeah," said Francis grinning, despite his own impending doom, of which he could do nothing to change. "What's my name?"

But Wade took a step forwards, holding the gun aloft.

"Who fucking cares."

* * *

Wade watched as Francis went limp in Steve's and Tony's clutches, as a spurt of blood, brains and viscera exited out of the back of his skull.

The two Avengers immediately let go of him, and his body slumped to the ground.

It was over.

It was all finally over.

But for Wade there was no happy ending.

He had fucked everything up…and now….well it would be better for everyone if he _had_ died of cancer.

He hated himself….he despised his own face….and now there was no way he could be with Missy.

Neither she, nor Emily, would love him looking like this.

He was unlovable….a mere monster.

He bowed his masked head low….not wanting to turn around…to look at the faces of the two most beautiful creatures in the world.

It was too painful for him now.

So he would go….disappear…for good this time.

So it wasn't surprising that Wade jumped slightly as he felt a warm hand slip perfectly into his….

Fingers entwining with his oh-no naturally….

Wade Wilson gazed up, staring now into the face of the woman he loved…more than anything…and the tiny girl in her arms.

But this time it was Missy's turn to reach out and touch his spandex covered chest gently….her fingers tracing over the place where a stab wound should have been.

Suddenly she gazed up into his eyes… her own green orbs glassy and full of tears.

"Wade…." she said after what felt like an eternity, as Wade's breath caught in his throat. "….take us home…."

* * *

 **Sorry I haven't updated in a long while. I'm just losing motivation. But at least I can get back to my own plots now.**

 **Thanks so much to rosalie279, Guest, CaptainWilliamsN7, starrat, srosal1, Grimm, THE JUDGE OF FICS, QueenBeee222, Legolas Girl 31, jonstar1034, dancindonna, AngiMK, Pinkusa, Guest, Smaug the Golden, Guest, Guest, Carlypso, Guest and Raging Raven for reviewing the last chapter.**

 **Was that ok? Let me know what you thought?**

 **Please review! :)**


	51. Chapter 51

Missy shoved open the door to her apartment…not daring to turn around.

Worried that if she did, Wade might be gone again.

So Missy, exhausted, bruised, with clothes covered in blood, strutted across the living room on her high heels, clutching her teeny daughter to her chest.

"We're gonna take a bath," she uttered her voice breaking slightly as she glanced up at Wade, who was still stood there in his full Deadpool outfit, mask and all.

It was the first thing either of them had said to one another since they had left the docks and Missy found herself trembling as the words spilled out of her mouth.

"Please don't go anywhere…" she continued, her eyes pleading and sad. "…okay?"

Wade was silent for a moment before he spoke.

"I'm not fucking leaving your gorgeous ass again," he said firmly, shaking his masked head.

Missy didn't know whether to laugh or cry….and so, she merely disappeared off into the bathroom, with Emily giving Wade a happy wave over her shoulder as she did so….as if nothing at all had happened this morning.

But it had, Missy knew it had…

She was tired, bruised and dirty…

Her wrists were red and raw from where she had been tied up and she hadn't even _looked_ at how bad the deep gash at her neck was…

All she knew was that her formally crisp white blouse was now covered in her own ruby red blood.

Emily was wet…. Missy could feel that she had soaked through her pyjama pants…

"Let's get you out of these clothes, ok sweetie?" said Missy, setting the toddler down onto the toilet seat lid and beginning to peel off her sodden and dirty leggings.

Leaning over, she turned on the bath taps as several lone tears streaked themselves down her cheeks…unable to stop them any longer.

* * *

Missy closed her eyes as she washed the dirt… and the grime… and the dried blood from her body.

Emily was already out, sitting on the bathmat with a gigantic bath towel wrapped around her, giving a little yawn.

Missy knew she didn't have long to dwell on her own suffering when she had a child to take care of.

 _She_ was her priority…nothing else.

So Missy let the water wash all her worries away down the plug hole, wrapping her own body now, in a large fluffy white towel.

"I tired," said Emily from the floor, giving another yawn.

Missy pursed her lips, securing her towel. "Come on then," she said in a gentle tone, lifting the little girl up into her arms. "Let's get you into bed."

* * *

Wade stood in Missy's living room….a room he knew so well….and yet the last time he was here…it felt like a lifetime ago.

He had wanted nothing more in this entire fucking universe to be back here with the two women he loved more than anything. But now that he _was_ , he couldn't help but feel worried…

He had fucked everything up, and now, to find out after all these months that he would never be able to reverse what had been done to him….it was torture.

Missy wouldn't love him looking like this….he was a freak….a fucking monster.

Wade moved over to the window and stared out looking at the bright late morning sky…they'd be better off without him. That was the truth.

He had almost gotten them killed today….and he'd curse himself if anything else ever happened to them.

"Hey," came a sudden voice from behind him causing him to swing around.

Her stomach lurched as he came face-to-face with _her_ …

With the woman he had left…all alone.

Missy was standing there…looking as nervous as _he_ felt.

Her hair was damp, hanging loose around her shoulders, and she had on a lilac robe…and to Wade, she looked as gorgeous as ever….

No, perhaps even _more_ gorgeous than he remembered her being.

"Hey," he uttered, taking a cautious step toward her, his eyes roving across her delicate features.

What the fuck was he supposed to say to her now?

He had promised her he would take her home….he had promised her he wouldn't go anywhere….but was it terrible that he just felt like running away right now?

"You're hurt…" he murmured, taking in the mark where the knife had cut into her neck.

But Missy's eyes drifted down to the floor, away from his.

"I'm fine, I'm just...I'm fine, really," she said in a quiet voice.

Wade took another step closer to her. He didn't believe her for a second. He had put the two of them through shit…how could she ever be fine after that?

But Missy looked up into his eyes once more.

It was a second or two before she spoke again.

"Why did you leave us, Wade?" she said, her shoulders slumping slightly and her eyes filling with tears. "You told me…in that letter…..you said you had cancer….that you were dying…was that a lie?"

Wade gave a frown.

He'd fucked everything and he knew it. But right now, he could see first-hand how much pain and anguish he had caused her….

The merc shook his head.

"I was dying. I had cancer…well technically, I still have it but…..it's complicated…" he said trailing off and running a gloved hand down his masked face.

"I don't care if it's complicated Wade, just explain…" said Missy, tears filling her eyes. "Normally I can't get you to shut up and yet now you won't even talk to me…"

She was angry and Wade couldn't blame her for that.

He let out a long sigh, and hung his head, not wanting to look at her right now.

It was time for the truth.

"I didn't want to put you through that….seeing me with a disease that was too far gone to cure…I knew I'd be a fucking mess by the end and didn't want to inflict that on you and Em in any fucking way. So I left and took an opportunity that was given to me. Only it wasn't a fucking opportunity… it was, to paraphrase Mr Taylor Swift 'a fucking nightmare dressed like a fucking daydream'. But on the plus-side it left me with some shitty fucking superpowers, so there's that..…"

His voice was upbeat, but inside, Wade was feeling anything but.

Missy paused, not saying anything for a moment, before she moved towards him on bare feet, stopping just a foot away from him.

She touched his suit again….letting her fingers drift over the place where a knife had been impaled just a few hours ago…

"You were hurt…and now you're not…." she murmured, titling her head and staring up into his masked face. "I mean…how is that possible?"

Wade paused, giving a shrug, his gloved hands coming up and grasping her hand in his own.

"Like I said….I'm not the same guy under here as you remember," he said in a sad voice, breathing hard. "And now there's no changing that….. _fuck_ ….I shouldn't be with you here…..not anymore….you and Em…..you're both too fucking good for me and you always will be…."

Wade Wilson knew that was the truth, but before he could even open his mouth to finish, a sudden voice cut across his.

"Ok," said Missy, her voice wavering slightly as she spoke, her fingers entwining with his. "Something happened to you…..I saw that….a-and you don't have to tell me _what_ right now….I just need to know if you're back for good now…..or if you're going to leave us again? I need to know that Wade…ok? Not only for me but for Emily too."

Missy glanced down at the floor as a tear slid its way down her cheek, before her gaze suddenly flickered back up to his once more.

" We missed you….a-and I'm hurting now….but if you stay, you can make that better again. You say you're different now…a-and that you're not the man I remember…but….-"

She gave a difficult gulp as more tears spilled down her smooth cheeks.

"We loved you…. And we still do, Wade. So…..just answer me one thing…..do you love us back?"

Wade stared at her for the longest moment. Taking in every ounce of hurt and pain that was reflected on her features.

And it was in that moment he knew that he didn't want to run…or hide…he wanted to give her her answer.

Wade reached up with his gloved hand and swiped at her tear-strewn cheek with her thumb, lifting her gaze to meet his own white eyes.

Missy looked at him expectantly, her lips pursed, her green eyes questioning.

Fuck she was intimidating right now, even without her usual skyscraper high-heels. But her features were soft and nervous...

She lifted a hand, her slender fingers reaching for his masked cheek.

But before he even realised what he was doing Wade flinched away from her.

Missy immediately retracted her hand, looking a little hurt, her eyes flickering downwards to the floor

"I'm sor-" she started.

"Don't you dare be fucking sorry," said Wade in a serious tone, suddenly placing a hand to her chin and causing her to stare up at him. "I fucking love you. Both of you. Like I've told you a million times over, I've been crazy about you since I first caught sight of you out there in that hallway. The two of you are literally my fucking world. But behind this mask…. _fuck_ …."

Why was he doing this….he knew what he needed to do…

Without another word Wade lifted his hand to the back of his head and tore off the mask revealing his red and scarred features.

His dark chocolate eyes held her gaze for less than a second before he tore them away….ashamed….

* * *

Missy gave an inward gasp and stared up at the man she once knew…

….at his scarred features…

…at his sad gaze, as his eyes, that flickered away from hers…full of shame and hurt…and pain…

"It's your call…" said Wade in a broken voice. "…I wouldn't blame you if you told me to go, and never come back…"

Missy's heart tore in two, right then.

What had happened to him in the ten months he had been away? Did it even matter now?

All she knew was that this was the man who had been there for them….who loved her and cared for her daughter like she was his own….the man who would do anything to protect them both…

And she loved him. She still loved him. No matter what he looked like.

It would take some getting used to….but none of this made him any less the Wade Wilson she knew.

So Missy pressed herself into him, causing his sorrowful eyes to look up at hers, but they only lingered there for a second before Missy leaned forwards…..

….her soft lips brushing his….

And with that, she kissed him…so so desperately…full of want….full of need…..full of love for the man she had missed….

It took a second for Wade to even react….before his own scarred lips began to gently move against hers.

There they remained for a few seconds, before Missy finally pulled away.

She looked up into Wade's eyes and bit at her lip, catching her breath. But her hands were still pressed up against his firm torso, her chest rising and falling rapidly.

"Fuck….I missed that…." uttered Wade, his face full of longing. " _That_ and the sex of course…"

His words caused Missy to smile. She felt herself relaxing slightly, for the first time all morning.

"Of course," she said faux-seriously.

Wade grinned, causing tiny wrinkles to appear at the corners of his eyes.

There was still a lot for Missy to process but right now she felt happier than she had done in months.

"Unless you'd prefer Steve Rogers?" he said in a goading tone, his eyes shining with a warm light. "I mean I can see why you'd fall for Captain oh-so-fucking-perfect. With his great hair and perfect bone structure-"

But before he could finish Missy had pulled him to her and kissed him again.

She felt the merc smile into her mouth, giving a chuckle, before Missy tore her lips away from him once more.

She took a step back and rolled her eyes.

"Don't even get me started on Steve Rogers…" she said with a relieved sigh. "I mean he's nice and everything, but he doesn't have a kinky red-leather suit and a penchant for using very, _very_ bad language."

Wade gazed at her in awe, raising a non-existent eyebrow. "You think my outfit's kinky?" he said in a playful voice, suddenly grabbing Missy by the thighs and lifting her. "That's very interesting."

She gave a smile wrapping her legs around his waist and tangling her arms around his neck.

She could feel a heat growing inside her, and despite how worried he was about what he looked like, his charm and smart mouth had certainly won her over.

Missy lowered her chin, her lips hovering over his….just as there came a tiny voce from their side.

"Mommy, watchu doin' wif Waydee?" came the soft, sleepy voice of Emily.

Both Missy and Wade turned their heads simultaneously towards Emily's open bedroom door where the tiny girl now stood, staring up at the pair of them, mouth agape.

Missy gave a gulp, as Wade instantly let go of her thighs dropping her gently to the ground, and began to scrabble around for his mask that lay abandoned on the floor behind them.

Missy knew what he was worried about…

That Emily would be frightened of the sight of him looking the way he did.

But as he bent down to pick up his mask, Emily was already at his side, squatted down on her chubby little legs peering up at him.

"I drawed pikshur!" she said in a cheery voice, brandishing a piece of paper in front of Wade's nose.

"Sweetie I thought you were asleep," said Missy carefully.

But Emily ignored her, instead staring directly into Wade's red and scarred face, her mouth hanging open.

Missy half expected her to scream or run and hide…but to her surprise, the tiny girl just paused for the slightest of moments before giving a frown.

"Waydee," she uttered bossily, grasping his gloved hand with her pudgy digits. "Luk at my pikshur!"

It seemed as the though the toddler was, in fact, more concerned with her own doings, than what Wade looked like.

To her it was obviously the same old Wade. Of course it was. She had recognised him even with a mask on, so why would a this be any different?

Wade did as he was told, crouching beside the little girl, as she began to try and clamber onto his lap, staring at the drawing.

"That me," said Emily proudly, pointing to the figures she had drawn. "That Mommy wif the pwetty hair….and that Daddy, wif tha' gun."

Missy gave an instantly frown, suddenly peering over Wade's shoulder to see that Emily had drawn a smiling Wade in full Deadpool costume, mask and all, holding out a large oversized gun in his hand.

Missy's eyes widened as she snatched up the picture.

"I look like a total badass," said Wade , placing his arm around Emily and tugging her close. "Great job….but maybe work on some bigger biceps next time. Daddy needs some _other_ guns, if you catch me drift."

But Missy gave a loud groan. "Way to go Wade," she said brandishing the paper irritably. "See what you've done now. You've scarred her for life."

Wade gave a frown and got to his feet, Emily still in his arms. But before he had the chance to argue back, Emily spoke.

"Wen I growd up, can I av' gun pswease, if I bin gud?" said asked, batting her little green eyes up at Wade and toying with the zip at his neck with her chubby fingers.

Wade looked down at her proudly.

"Sure. We can start you off on something small…nice and compact-" he said dreamily, as Missy cut across him sternly.

"You are not letting her have a gun, Wade!" she said in an incredulous voice.

Wade gave a scowl. "Pfft, spoilsport."

But Missy merely rolled her eyes.

"She's _your_ daughter too," she retorted, shaking her head and pointing a finger at him threateningly. "And I swear, if she even gets as much as a sniffle on your watch-"

"Oh baby, please say you'll slip into a kinky leather costume to match mine, and spank me. Pretty please?" he uttered in a playful tone, causing Missy to tut.

"Maybe I _should_ have agreed to date Steve Rogers after all," she said in a sarcastic tone, folding her arms over her chest.

But Wade merely grinned and leaned in close to Missy, his scarred lips grazing her ear…

"Why would you want to date Steve Rogers when you can date the hell out of Daddy Deadpool instead?" said Wade, in a husky voice into her ear. "And let me just say, these super regenerating powers of mine can definitely come in handy later tonight in you catch my drift…"

Missy looked up at him tutting, but a small smirk played its way across her lips.

"That mean you're staying over tonight then?" she asked raising an arched eyebrow in his direction.

Wade gave a smile.

"Unless you'd prefer me back across the hallway, Momma-Bear?"

* * *

 **Thanks to you all for reading this story. I may do an epilogue soon. I'm not sure. I'll see how I'm feeling after the weekend.**

 **Thanks to THE JUDGE OF FICS Houdini33, CaptainWilliamsN7, Guest, hottieanimegurl, AngiMK, Kisses N Cyanide, IdleDots, Legolas Girl 1, dancindonna, Queenbeee222, rosalie279, jonstar1034, Guest, Pinkusa, Raging Raven and Guest for reviewing.**

 **I'd love to hear what you thought about this chapter though? Writing Deadpool is waaaaay more different than writing Wade in my eyes. I find Deadpool a bit more all over the place with his speech patterns. Does anyone else agree? Although I do think (as one reviewer suggested) than Missy is a different influence on Wade than the other movie characters (Vanessa etc). Anyway please do let me know what you thought. Thanks for reading, guys. I really appreciate it. More than you know.**

 **Please review**


	52. Chapter 52

**Last one- The Epilogue.**

* * *

Two months later

"An' then Daddy took me to see Weezel," said Emily in a happy voice.

It was a warm, sunny evening and the tiny toddler was sat up on Wade's strong shoulders, as he walked, matching pace with Missy.

The last few months for the trio, had been a bit of a whirlwind. Wade had, of course, worried that his scars would be too much for Missy and Emily to cope with, but it in fact had been the opposite.

Emily was still as enamoured with him as ever, and Missy and the merc had actually been at it like rabbits for the past eight weeks.

The scars didn't bother her, especially in the dark of night….when his lips and body was on hers….

The merc's new identity as Deadpool had been the only thing that needed getting used to, on Missy's part. Mainly due to the bloodstains that Wade tended to track across her carpet when he returned from a job late at night, and also the weapons he tended to leave lying around within reach of tiny toddler grabby-hands.

Missy, who strutted in high-heel, a pencil skirt and blouse, had just finished work and turned to look at Wade.

Normally she would have made a comment or rolled her eyes at his mention of his frequent visits to Weasel's bar with their four year old daughter.

But today there was something else playing on Missy's mind.

In fact, there had been all week…

She had been feeling under the weather for the past fortnight and knew that there had only been one other time in her life when she had felt this way.

But finding a way of telling the mercenary what was wrong, was proving to be harder than she first had thought.

Wade was today, of course, dressed in full Deadpool costume, mask and all.

He gave a shrug as she shoved open the door to their building, holding it open for Missy to pass through before him.

"We did only stay for one _teensy_ drink," he said in a simpering voice, his gloved hands holding onto Emily's tiny brown-booted ankles. "Ok….maybe three. But I _swear_ it wasn't me who slipped that shot of whisky into her chocolate milk."

Missy gave a scowl, as they began to ascend the two flights of stairs up towards her apartment.

"You'd better be kidding, Wade, or I swear to God.." she scolded, bumping him with her hip as they turned the corner.

But Wade merely grinned back at her from behind his mask.

"Of course I'm kidding," he said in a reassuring voice, as Emily above his head suddenly began to babble on about ponies. "I'm a responsible fucking adult now…."

But Missy rolled her eyes.

"When have you ever been a responsible adult, Wade?" she said, tutting and shaking her head.

"Ughhh….ex-fucking- _cuse_ me," said Wade in playful tone as they rounded the corner into their hallway. "Whilst you were fucking playing at being a goody-two shoes with Steve ' _make America great again'_ Rogers, and the other shitty _so-called_ superheroes at SHIELD ** _. I_** was at home trying to fucking wrestle Chicken Little here, into a sweater, because she, quote-' wanted to be nakey today'. So since I spent twenty minutes trying to bribe a with twenty thousand dollars toddler to put on some clothes, I think I fucking _deserve_ the merit of responsible adult."

Missy scoffed. "Welcome to my world, Wade," she uttered, fishing out of keys from inside her purse and opening her front door. "She's like that every day. God, if you're this bad with one kid, what are you going to be like when the second one comes along?"

She paused for a second breathing hard, realising what she had just said….

She turned around looking at Wade, who was still…frozen like a statue….

"What did you just say?" he said in a low voice.

Missy's eyes flickered away from his. This was not really the way she had envisioned telling him.

"I wan down Daddy," came Emily's sudden voice, cutting across the silence. "I wan to play ponies."

Wade, his eyes never leaving Missy's, grabbed Emily around the middle and lifted her down from his shoulders.

Instantly the little girl ran off across the room, immediately pulling toys from her basket.

But Wade's white eyes remained locked to Missy's. He took a step towards her, removing his mask and lowering his scarred chin.

"Babe…" he breathed, as his dark chocolate eyes flickered down to her stomach.

Missy felt her heart begin to pound.

"I…um…..I haven't been feeling right for days now…." she said in a quiet voice.

Missy was nervous….and perhaps even a little scared. After all that had happened with Scott….how that had turned out…she had more than a right to be. But Wade was different, and she knew that, but that didn't mean her heart wasn't pounding at a mile a minute.

"….so this morning….I…uh…." she continued. "…..I did a test…."

She gulped.

In fact, she had actually done seven tests in total, just to be sure.

"….it was positive…"

She let out a shaky breath….waiting for Wade Wilson's response.

A second passed…

Followed by another…

And another….

But still Wade didn't say a word.

Missy gave another uneasy gulp….her mouth was dry and she felt like she was about to puke.

"Wade?" she tried…but before she could say another word, the red suited mercenary had grabbed Missy tightly by the waist and pressed his lips to hers.

Missy chuckled into his mouth, before he pulled away staring at her.

"Fucking Christ!" he uttered, shaking his head before kissing at her lips once again.

Missy gave another laugh into his mouth, before taking a small step back and gazing up at him.

Right now Wade looked happy…happier than she'd ever seen him.

"As long as this is what you want?" she said, stroking at his scarred face with her hand.

"Of course this is what I fucking want…" cried the merc loudly, making Missy bite at her lip happily. "Fuck I've been in love with you since the day I fucking met you. Jeez, I'm gonna be a fucking Dad?! For real? Fuck….there is no way I'm gonna fuck this up. Not now, not ever. You want anything, either of you and I'll make sure you get it, alright. Fuck!"

At Wade's loud outburst, Emily looked over curiously.

"Whas goin' on?" she uttered bossily, waddling up to them, bunny clutched in her tiny hand.

Wade instantly grabbed the toddler around her middle and lifted her up into his strong arms.

"Well Em-bear," he said in a happy voice. "You Mommy has just made me the fucking happiest guy in the fucking world."

Missy tutted at him, but she couldn't help but smile, as she turned to address her gorgeous little daughter. "Sweetie, how would you feel about having a little brother or sister?"

Emily stared at Missy for a long moment, her reaching out to grab a strand of her Mom's long caramel hair with her stick paw.

"I wud have sumwun to play wif?" she asked, her little mouth agape. "Waydee doesn' play ponies gud. He's always tha bad red pony wif tha gun."

Missy laughed.

"Yeah, you will, baby," she said gently, pressing a kiss to Emily's soft cheek. "But until then, you'll have to put up with me getting fat, ok?"

Emily wrinkled her tiny nose, giving a giggle.

"Why you gettin' fat?" she asked shaking her head, causing her tuft of short brown hair to wobble on top of her head.

"Because I'm going to have a baby in here, Sweetie-pie," Missy said in a hushed voice, pointing to her stomach.

Emily suddenly let out a quiet "Ohhh." Her green eyes widening into orbs. "My bruvver or sister?"

Wade gave a nod.

"And then when they come along , you can _both_ be my drinking buddies. Deal?" said Wade raising one of hands aloft and looking down at Emily.

Emily beamed, hugging at Wade's neck and holding out her tiny paw, giving him a high five.

"Okway, Waydee," she said in a happy voice, as Missy looked on beaming at her perfect, but now growing, little family. "But noh mor wishkeys in my chwoclat milk, dweal?"

Missy gave a scowl.

"Wade!" she said slapping the merc on the leather-clad arm.

But Wade, slipped his free hand around Missy's waist and tugged her into them both.

"Fucking Christ I'm so fucking glad I met you out there in that hallway," he said, his scarred lips curving up into a wide smile.

Missy felt butterflies in her stomach as he stared her wa…., remembering back to that day where she had seen Wade Wilson for the first time.

Not even anticipating that two years later she would be standing here, the happier she had ever, _ever_ been….

…..with his baby growing inside her…..

"Me too…." Missy said contently, as she leant in towards him, her soft pink lips brushing his ear...

"… _Papa-bear_ …"

* * *

...

 **So that is the end! What did you think? This is has been most certainly the most popular of all the fanfics I have ever written, I think. So thank you all.**

 **Thanks to starrat, rosalie279, TamashinoSuzume, jeffhardyluvsme, winterhail, Raging Raven, Pinkusa, QueenBeee222, Guest, BellaFanatasia, jonstar1034, hottieanimegurl, Legolas Girl 31, Carlypso, Dancindonna, RaphaelsGirl45, Xxcheshiregrinxx, Smaug the Golden and Guest for reviewing the last chapter.**

 **I'd love to hear your feedback. What parts did you like? What parts didn't you like so much?**

 **Would you like another Wade Wilson (pre-DP) and Missy pregnancy AU? Because I am _so_ up for writing that. Or would you like a sequel to this one with Emily? Or do you want to see Missy and Deadpool (or just Wade) doing something completely different. I'd love to hear what you'd like to see, as you're the ones who have to read it. Leave me one last review and let me know. And thank you all for reading and reviewing. I do all this for you and I'm glad you're enjoying it.**

 **Please review! :)**


	53. Chapter 53

**Not a chapter but I just want to give all my lovely readers a bit of heads up on the situation.**

 **So I currently have two stand-alone Deadpool fics I've released in the past two weeks.** **And in all honesty I'm thinking of giving up altogether.**

 **I'm just a bit lost with regards to content, and I'm not sure what you want to see when it comes to Wade/Missy fics.**

 **Did you guys love Emily? Enough to want her in a different fic?**

 **Do you guys like seeing a pregnant Missy with Wade….when the baby belongs to someone else?**

 **Do you like seeing Missy (as per the current fic I'm working on) pregnant with Wade's baby?**

 **Or something completely different.**

 **The way I'm feeling at the moment, I just want to give up writing completely.** **I've lost all motivation –and that's nothing to do with you lovely readers. But instead because of the way I'm writing** **I'm just flitting between fics because I don't really know what you guys would want to read.**

 **Fluff? Drama? Humor? Hurt? Comfort?**

 **So if you could see fit to leave me one last comment and hopefully I can re-evaluate what I'm doing. Maybe even delete some stuff and start over.**

 **So please let me know what YOU'd like. I'd really appreciate it, as writing Deadpool fics has taken up a lot of time over the past year or so…and all of that has been for you lovely and dedicated readers. :)**

 **Thanks so much for taking the time out, as always, to read.**

 **KP xoxo**


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